Stairway to Heaven
by whump-2-go
Summary: Since he was young, one thing on Steve's "Bucket List" had been to climb the Haiku Stairs. When the opportunity arises, things don't go quite as he planned…
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Stairway to Heaven

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** We did check, but it seems that they still don't belong to us. So, we hope CBS and whoever own the rights doesn't mind us borrowing them for a little while.

**Summary: **Since he was young, one thing on Steve's "Bucket List" had been to climb the Haiku Stairs. When the opportunity arises, things don't go quite as he planned…

**A/N:** A few weeks ago I found an interesting article about the Haiku Stairs. I immediately thought about Stevie going up there with his friends. And since Steve is still a boy at heart, he wanted in on the fun as well. It wasn't really that hard to involve Cokie in this, I would even say she was more than eager.

This is our first 'hurt-story' under our new name. I hope you will enjoy it.

… Sam

I had seen pictures of the Haiku Stairs several months ago and sort of filed them in the back of my mind to do more research. When Sam mentioned them, I thought that was a sign that we needed to write about them. And, of course, Steve HAD to be involved! So, I guess you could say I was eager. Or easy… whichever. I hope you like what we have come up with.

… Cokie

* * *

_**Stairway to Heaven - Chapter 01**_

Kamekona was doing three things at once. And praying to the gods that he wouldn't mess up.

First and foremost… flying.

Second… listening to McGarrett's words in his head… _keep it level, watch the instruments _(his gaze automatically flew to the attitude indicator)_ and… __**don't**__ crash._

Third… reciting his travel monologue.

The sightseeing business wasn't as easy to break into as he had thought, and unfortunately, business wasn't booming. The chopper with his smiling face on it set on the pad by the shrimp truck, but he had very few clients. He couldn't believe that tourists didn't take him seriously.

But this morning luck was on his side. A family of four asked for a charter tour of Oahu. The Li family had stopped their sight-seeing for an early lunch at the shrimp truck. Mr. Li had inquired about the price for a fly over and agreed to the grand tour. Tommy Li, who was eleven, sat in the co-pilot seat, overjoyed at having the joystick in front of him and mesmerized by all the gauges and knobs on the instrument panel. Kamekona had already reminded him twice not to touch.

Mr. and Mrs. Li sat in the back with six year old Cindy between them. Mrs. Li appeared to be a bit more apprehensive about this trip than her smiling husband and children. She had scooted as close to Cindy… and as far away from the side… as possible. One hand was on the back of the seat in front of her and the other was around her daughter's shoulder. Kamekona only hoped she wasn't the type who got airsick. This fine chopper was still his pride and joy… not to mention the fact that it wasn't paid for. He made a mental note to buy barf bags at his earliest opportunity.

In his usual overconfidence, Kamekona felt he was in his element. But hearing his friend's words in his head _'crashing the helicopter is bad for business'_ he again checked the instruments.

Today they were flying over Oahu's beautiful mountains and forests with the breathtaking waterfalls. He had even practiced the words he would recite… trying to use what he called "the King's English" in the hope that it would bring a greater tip at the end of the trip.

…"And just ahead on the right, you will see the Haiku Stairs, or as it is known in Hawaii, the _Stairway to Heaven_. The Coast Guard had an antenna at the top of the mauna… that means mountain," Kamekona threw a few Hawaiian words in when he could after realizing that most tourists were interested in learning the easier words. "The stairs were built in 1942 so that they could reach the summit. Tommy, take a look down there. How many steps do you think there are?"

"Um, I don't know. Probably a lot. Maybe 500?" The young boy spoke into his microphone.

"Not even close, Bruddah," Kamekono said with a grin. Glancing in the back he asked the young girl. "Kiki, how many steps do you think are there?"

She shook her head but her dad whispered something to her and she replied, "Two thousand? That's a lot."

"It is a lot, but still not even close. You would have to climb almost 4,000 steps to get to the top. But the station was closed and all access to the platform was shut off years ago. People who have climbed it say the view is the best in Hawaii. But…," he grinned at them. "We can see the same view up here without all the exercise, if you get my drift."

Mr. Li was taking photos with his camera and Tommy was snapping away with his cell phone. "Hey!" Tommy exclaimed, leaning forward in his seat and looking out the bubble.

"Tommy!" Mrs. Li begged. "Please sit still."

"Mr. Kamekona! I think there's someone down there."

"No, I don't think so," Kamekona told him. "There's a guard at the bottom of the mountain to keep people out."

"No, I see something. Look, Dad." Tommy insisted and motioned with his arms down to the platform.

"I am afraid he is right," Mr. Li agreed. "There's a body down there!"

Kamekona banked the helicopter and he, too, could see someone lying at the top of the stairs, half in the shade of the old station. All he could tell was that the person was wearing a red shirt… and that he wasn't moving.

Mrs. Li began speaking rapidly in her native language while covering Cindy's eyes.

"Mr. Kamekona, my wife wishes that we quit the tour and return to our car."

"Aw, Dad—"

"Tommy, quiet."

Kamekona knew that his good day had suddenly disappeared.

**- - - H50 - - -**

"Kamekona, my big, scary friend, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" Danny asked, seeing the entrepreneur walk through the glass doors of their offices. "You look unhappy to be here."

"Anytime I get close to the po-lice, I get jumpy," the big man admitted. "Dis place makes my skin crawl."

"Hey, Brah," Kono said, coming around the corner and giving him a hug. "I don't make you jumpy, do I?"

"Not you, pretty wahine, but all those men in blue…" he shuddered for effect. "I get the heebee-jeebees."

"So what can we do for you?" Danny asked.

"I brung you a case," he said, pulling his phone out of the pocket of his shorts. He waved to Steve who was working in his office. "Let's get the big kahuna in here, too."

By the time Steve came out, Catherine and Chin had just arrived from Max's office in follow up of a recent case and everyone congregated around the smart table.

"What's up?" Steve asked as he joined them.

"Not my bisness," Kamekono lamented. "Thas' fo shure. I had a charter today and had to refund the money on account of we saw a dead guy."

"A dead—where?" Steve asked.

"I'll show you," Kamekona said, activating his phone.

"Here, let me," Chin said and held out his hand. Setting the phone down on the table, he worked his magic and a body appeared on the screens above them.

"Is that-?" Steve asked.

"-The top of Haiku Stairs," Kamekona finished for him. "Yep, we did a fly by. The Missus was so frightened I had to give back their kala. And I didn't even get a tip at the end of the trip for my troubles. That's rough, man." He shook his head in obvious despair.

"Yeah, looks like it wasn't a picnic for this guy either," Danny mumbled.

Steve was closely examining the photo. "If he made it all the way up there, he could have had a heart attack before he could get back down, but— Chin, can you zoom in?"

"What do you see?" he asked, zooming.

"There, off to the right. A knife."

"A bloody knife," Catherine added.

"So, I'm guessing this wasn't an accident," Danny said.

"And that's why I'm here," Kamekona told them. "Seeing as how I'm a law-abiding citizen and all, do you think I could get some compensation for my troubles? You see, that whirlybird doesn't run on air and fuel costs moo-la. Do you think the state of Hawaii could refund me the cost of today's trip?"

Steve placed his hand on the larger man's shoulder. "Kamekona, the state of Hawaii thanks you for your dedication to keeping these islands safe. But we don't have a slush fund for things like this."

"Can't blame a guy for tryin'," he mumbled while heading toward the door. "Let me know what you find up there."

"Thanks, Kamekona," Chin called after him. "So, what's the first step?"

"I doubt you can do much with facial recognition," Steve said. "But see what you can do. Danny and I will go talk to the guard at the base of the mountain to see if anyone was scheduled to hike up there in the last 48 hours."

"Wait a second. This is that _Stairway to Heaven_ thing, isn't it?" Danny asked.

"Yeah."

"And someone would willingly climb up all those steps? For fun?"

"Well, for several years, you have had to show proof of a million dollar liability insurance policy if you wanted to walk up," Steve said. "The stairs are off limits because they need repair."

"But I've seen people posting pictures on Facebook from the top of the mountain," Cath said. "So some are getting through."

"Yeah, they sneak in," Steve said. "And if that's what this guy did, it got him in trouble."

"Have you ever been up there?" Danny asked.

"Where? Top of the mountain?"

"Yeah, where'd you think I meant?"

After a moment Steve shook his head and headed to his office before heading out. "Nah, that's one place I've never been," Steve called over his shoulder. He retrieved his badge which was on the desk and came back. "Kono, you and Cath coordinate getting an ME and a forensics team up there. It might take some time to get a bird in the air. But tell them not to disturb the body if they get there before we do."

"Right on it, Boss."

"Be careful," Catherine told him.

"Coming Danny?" he asked as Danny met him in the hallway.

"Lead on, McDuff."

**- - - H50 - - -**

Steve's phone rang just as they left the guard's shack at the base of the mountain. The guard had seen or heard no one since his arrival on site at 6 a.m. But he seemed pumped for some excitement and readily filled out the paperwork to allow them access to the steps.

Thanking the man once again, Steve turned away and answered the phone. "Chin, what do you have?"

"Surprisingly a name," the lieutenant replied. "Facial recognition worked and not only do I have a name, I have his record. The guy's name is Ricky Keaki and he was brought in for burglary six years ago, but never charged. The record is from a slew of unpaid parking and speeding tickets. Apparently Keaki doesn't like to pay."

"Anything else we can use?" Danny asked, listening to the conversation on speaker.

"He's married; they live off Kamehameha in Waipio. I can send you an address. I'm going through his list of priors and seeing if I can find known associates."

"That's good," Steve agreed. "Keep us posted."

"Will do."

They walked back to the car and Steve opened the trunk and pulled out his loaded backpack. He then waited with the trunk open and glanced at Danny who was leaning against the car door.

Danny looked back and gave Steve a confused look. "What are we doing?"

"Excuse me, but you don't plan on going like that?" Steve asked his friend and motioned to his attire.

"What? What's wrong with it?" Danny asked and looked down at what he was wearing.

"You can't go up there in those shoes," Steve explained and shook his head at Danny.

"Well, excuse me, Mister-Hiking-Expert, couldn't you tell me that before we left the office? I thought these were steps… why can't I wear my shoes?"

"Seriously? Danny, I thought you had boots in the trunk or something." Steve motioned up the Haiku Stairs and had a hard time not yelling at his partner. "Who the heck goes to that crime scene in loafers?" Steve only shook his head. But more at himself than at Danny. He should have told him to dress properly; even after all these years he couldn't expect Danny to know what this particular location of their murder case entailed. "I'm sorry, Danny, I should have been more specific about where we were going. I just thought you had boots in the car."

"I'm not like you, prepared for everything," Danny grumbled obviously in annoyance.

Steve again sighed about this point that Danny brought up again and again; but he swore he would not bite, not this time. "Tell you what, Danny. HPD is flying the equipment and the CSU guys up there. They can't land, but you can hitch a ride and winch down with one of the guys. I'll call Kono and-"

"You want me to hang from a helicopter over a mountain ridge to look at a crime scene that will be photographed from every angle anyway? AND where there is probably nothing to find in the first place," Danny called out.

"You don't know that!" The head of Five-0 glared at his second in command and wondered if Danny got up on the wrong side of the bed today. He had been in a foul mood ever since he had come into the office this morning. "So, what you're saying is that we shouldn't take a look at the scene of the murder?"

"No, what I'm saying is that you should satisfy your hunger for crazy hiking trips and take a look. In the meantime, I will go and talk to the victim's wife," Danny said. "Go and have fun," he added and made the motion to shoo his friend away. "But first, let me see where you're headed in case you never return. Might I point out that there is no stairway here?"

"It's this way, but be careful. We have to walk through a bamboo patch before we get to it."

"If you've never been here, how the heck do you know that?"

Steve hesitated, then replied, "I read." They navigated the bamboo and came to a small underpass, a short, metal tunnel of sorts covered with vegetation. "The stairs are on the other side of this."

"OK, I think I'll take your word for it," Danny said, looking through the small enclosure. "I'll go notify the victim's wife."

Steve thought for a moment about it and then came to a conclusion. "Fine. Take Catherine with you. Kono can help Chin track down his associates. I'll call if I find anything interesting."

"As if," Danny mumbled and turned without another look at the hike up the mountain. "Be careful," he called back to his friend before navigating the bamboo. "Maybe you should drop Skittles like E.T. so you don't get lost."

"I'm good," Steve called back to him. "And it was Reese's Pieces, not Skittles." Steve watched his partner leave and again shook his head, but he did so with a smile. He could understand Danny's concern, he was not a friend of the outdoors, and for sure not on friendly terms with any mountain ridges. _Be careful. Right._ _What was Danny thinking could happen to him while he walked up the steps to their murder scene?_ Steve chuckled at the thousand possibilities Danny would come up with out of the top of his head.

He was still softly chuckling when he set foot on the ladder and the first of the 3,922 steps leading to their crime scene.

**- - - H50 - - -**

Steve made good time on his trek up the mountain. There were a few places that needed repair, but surprisingly the steps seemed to be in pretty decent shape. He kept an eye out for anything out of place while enjoying the hike. An hour and a half into the trip, he reached the second resting platform and knew he was more than half way through. He slowed, looking out over the view and then looked down, thinking that it hadn't changed much in the past twenty-five or so years. Steve grinned to himself. Danny hadn't asked if he'd ever _**started**_ up the mountain; he only asked if he'd been on top. And Steve hadn't.

But it wasn't for lack of trying…

_**Haiku Stairs, 1989 **_

"_Did your mom buy it?" Steve asked Cale as they sat at the bottom of the Haiku Stairs. He looked at his new friend who had come to the islands late in the school year. His mom had moved here to be near her family after her husband had died in a car crash about a year ago. _

_Steve liked Cale, even though he was kind of strange and a bit of an outcast with the other kids. Maybe that was what drew him to Cale. He always felt the need to protect the slightly younger boy. Cale was very intelligent, but didn't fit in at all. Probably because he was so different. _

"_Yeah, no problem. My mom had talked to your dad at the class meeting. I think she liked him," Cale said and pulled Steve out of his thoughts. _

"_Hope she won't call," Steve mumbled around a chocolate bar he had brought. __Mrs. Tucker had invited him over after he had 'saved' Cale from some seventh graders who were always picking on the younger kids at lunch break.__ They had also tried their luck on Steve, but since he was tall for his 12 years and was on the football team they left him mostly alone._

"_At least my parents won't, they were really happy that I could stay with you this weekend," Kami piped in._

"_How come?" Cale wanted to know._

"_They are visiting friends on the North Shore." Kami told them._

_Steve knew that neither his mom nor his dad would call Kami's parents; the friends had spent countless weekends at each other's house. And as far as Steve knew the other parents had never called; they knew the kids were getting along great and both pair of parents trusted the other. So Steve was sure they were safe from that angle._

_But he was not so sure about Cale's mom even though Cale had assured them she was fine and wouldn't call. If their parents found out that they had all lied and had gone up the forbidden mountain, Steve was sure they could kiss all future weekends good bye until the next millennium. But that was a risk they were all willing to take._

"_How long will it take to reach... is it called a summit?" Cale wanted to know and looked up to the mountain top._

"_Yeah, the summit. There was a Coast Guard station up there, but it's abandoned now," Steve explained. "We will need a couple of hours at least."_

"_Will the sun be down before we reach the top?" Cale asked._

"_Why, you afraid of the dark, or something?" Kami now wanted to know._

"_No, I just wondered if we will reach the top and make camp before it gets dark," Cale defended his question._

"_We'll have plenty of light to make camp, don't worry Cale," Steve assured him and looked at his friend. Now was the last chance to change course. "If you don't want to go up, we can do something else. There's a cool bunker not far from here," Steve told them and motioned to the west of them._

"_A bunker?" Cale was curious._

"_Yeah, it's an old WW2 bunker. It's also off limits, but I know how to get in."_

"_You've been in there?" _

"_No, not yet," he said with a proud grin. "But Kami and I figured out how to get in. So, if you want to do that, it's fine with me," Steve said and gave the younger boy an out. He looked at Kami and saw that he was not happy, but would agree to go to the bunker instead._

"_No, I think we should go up the mountain. We can take on the bunker another time," Cale added._

"_Okay. Then let's go," Steve called out delighted that his friend trusted them to come with them on the hike. "Daylight's wasting."_

**- - - H50 - - -**

_They had been hiking up the steps for almost two hours now. Despite being fit due to his football training, Steve felt like his legs would fall off really soon. His tee shirt was drenched in sweat and his cargo shorts felt way too warm, even though they were of light material._

_Steve looked at his two panting friends and could see the pain on their faces. Kami did cross country, so he was not as winded as Cale, but Steve could see they both had doubts if they would make it up the mountain._

"_Hey, how about a break?" Steve asked and motioned to a place about thirty feet ahead of them. _

_It was not quite a platform, but it had more room than the steps and they would be able to sit down._

"_Yeah," Cale panted out and grinned despite the sweat that was covering his red face and running down his neck. "That looks great."_

_It took them another couple of minutes to reach the wider space and then they gratefully took off their backpacks and sat down in a semi-circle. Each of them happy to catch their breath._

"_I didn't think it would be so hard to get up here," Kami said into the silence._

"_Yeah," Steve said and looked up the rest of the way. _

_They had been very careful on their way up; some of the steps were missing and the guard rail didn't look always too sturdy. So they really had to watch their steps._

"_How much longer will it be to__the top?" Cale asked after taking a swig out of his water bottle._

"_I think we're over halfway up." Steve estimated their progress. _

"_Shit. Really? I thought we would be almost there," Kami exclaimed his disappointment._

"_No, not yet," Steve said and got his own water bottle out._

"_So, another two hours in this heat?" Cale asked and leaned against one of the posts._

"_No, not that long. But the weather forecast said it would be cloudy and not as hot today," Steve felt the need to defend himself, as if the weather was his fault. "I checked, and it said cloudy with highs of 65." _

"_It's at least a 120," Kami grumbled._

"_Right," Steve answered with a grin and shook his head at his best friend. "If not more."_

"_Now, look at what we have here!" _

_They were all startled by the loud voice coming from above them._

_Steve turned his head and groaned when he saw Dorian and three of his buddies. They were the school's worst bullies. All of them doing a second round in seventh grade. _

"_Leave us alone, Dorian," Steve said and stood up. _

_Steve was just as tall as the two years older boys, but by far not equally built. He was not scared of them, but he knew that a fight wouldn't end in his favor. But he hoped none of them would be stupid enough to do anything in this location._

"_What are you little ladies doing here? Having a nice picnic? How sweet. Do your mommies know you're here?" Dorian taunted the three younger boys._

"_How about you just move on and leave us to our picnic?" Steve said and stood his ground._

"_Hey, Cabbage, you have anything to say?"_

"_His name is Cale," Steve answered for his friend who still sat on the ground holding on to the rail next to him._

"_As I said, Kale, like the cabbage," Dorian laughed and glared at Steve. "What kind of idiot's name is that anyway?"_

_Steve watched as Cale stood up now and moved __next to him. "It's my name. You have a problem with that?"_

_Steve wondered why Cale had to choose that moment to finally stand up for himself, but he wished he would have waited a little longer. Maybe long enough to be back on safer grounds. But no, his friend had to find his courage on a freaking hiking trail. _

"_Uh huh, listen to that. The little shit grew some balls," Dorian called to his friends and tried to grab Cale in a very inappropriate way._

"_Hey, hands off, you asshole," Steve yelled and pushed Dorian away. He wondered for a second what his mom would think about his language choice._

_But he didn't have long to consider her reaction when Dorian suddenly was right in front of him and punched him in the gut. Steve went down to his knees with a grunting sound and thought his insides were ripped apart. Air was also not easy to draw in. _

"_Leave him alone," Cale yelled and pushed Dorian back._

_Steve was just getting back to his feet when the older boy charged at Cale in a wild rage._

"_NO!" Steve yelled and stepped between Cale and the outraged Dorian. _

_It was too late for Dorian to stop and he rammed his shoulder into Steve's chest, robbing him of all air and catapulting him back. Steve crashed into the railing, crying out in pain from hitting the metal with his back._

_Six shocked pairs of eyes watched as Steve toppled through the rail, lost his balance and vanished from view down the mountain side._

"_Steve!" was the last Steve heard before he impacted with the unforgiving mountain side. _

**- - - H50 - - -**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Stairway to Heaven - Chapter 2**_

The sound of chopper blades brought Steve out of his thoughts and he looked up to see a rescue chopper nearing the top of the mountain. Slowly the winch made it down and the first technician and equipment was on their way down.

He shook himself out of the memory and began climbing once again. He was making good time, but wanted to see the crime scene before the body was moved. Steve slowed his ascent and glanced back at the site where he had fallen. He hadn't thought of that incident for years, but it was so clear in his mind. He could still hear the fear in Kami's voice. Much of what he knew about that day was told to him by Kami and Cale… after he finally was allowed to leave the house after he had been grounded… for what still seemed like forever.

"_Steeevvveeeeee!" Kami yelled after his friend and rushed to the guard rail to see where Steve had vanished._

_All six kids looked down in shock._

"_You killed him," Cale suddenly yelled and took a swing at Dorian. _

_It was a weak slap and only made Dorian look up in anger. "It was his fault... I didn't mean to... why did he jump..." the older boy looked down the mountain side and was just as stunned as the others._

"_We need to get help," Kami called out after he turned back to the other boys._

"_We go, you stay here," Dorian said and motioned for his three friends to follow him. "We'll call for help," one of the older boys called back at them._

_Kami and Cale watched the kids making a hasty retreat. "You think they will send help?" Cale asked with a low voice._

"_No," was Kami's short answer._

"_What are we gonna do?"_

"_We need to get to Steve," Kami explained his plan of action. "If he's hurt... Cale, what if he's dead?" Kami suddenly couldn't keep the tears from rolling down his cheek while thinking about his best friend._

"_He's not. He's fine," Cale said and looked down the mountain. He shuddered thinking about his friend falling down. "How do we get down there?"_

"_Steve has a rope in his pack. He said just in case," Kami told Cale and opened Steve's backpack he had put on the ground when they all had sat down for their break. _

_The two boys tied one end to one of the poles holding the rail and threw the other down the side._

"_How long is it?" Cale wanted to know._

"_Hopefully long enough. Listen, I go down first, you stay up here, OK?"_

" '_K. Be careful," Cale said and watched Kami carefully climbing down the mountain slope. But after a few feet he was already swallowed by the thick undergrowth._

Steve was once again drawn out of his memories by his buzzing phone. He saw it was Danny and placed the phone on speaker, stopping to rest while taking the call.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Sasquatch," Danny's voice said. "Have you seen him?"

"Very funny, Danno. What have you got?"

"Not a lot yet. We met with Mrs. Keaki as she was leaving for work. She works second shift in Dietary at Queens so I'm sure she has provided some nutrition to you at one time or another," Danny explained and was only half joking. "Her husband worked construction for the state. He was also on second shift. She's upset but she will help all she can."

"Mrs. Keaki knew of her husband's past and knew he had been under suspicion for armed robbery several years ago but she said once he told her about it they had never mentioned it again," Catherine added. "She said he has cleaned up his act and hasn't been in any trouble."

"Did she mention anything odd in the last few days?" Steve asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Danny began. "A couple of nights ago they both got home from work around midnight and there was a pickup parked across the street. They hadn't been home five minutes before Ricky got a phone call and went outside. She said she looked out the window and saw her husband get into the truck. When he opened the door, the interior light came on and she could see the driver had a beard and was wearing a baseball cap, but she said she hadn't seen him before."

"Could she get a good look at the truck?"

"Dodge Ram – white," Cath replied.

"Good job. Let's see if Chin can match the make of truck to any of Keaki's known associates."

"When Ricky came back in, she asked him what was going on and he said it was a problem with work and not to worry… it was no big deal," Catherine added.

"Apparently it was a bigger deal than he thought," Steve replied. "Can you head over and talk to some of the people he worked with? And do a check for white trucks?"

"That was our next stop," Danny said. "Oh, she also said they are avid hikers. Never been to the stairs but they have always wanted to do that. She couldn't believe he went without her. How's your walk in the woods going?"

"It's not the woods, Danny," Steve said with a chuckle. For his friend everything with vegetation was 'woods'. "It's great, Danny. You're missing out."

"Really? I get to spend the afternoon with the cute new girl and you get to visit a dead guy. I win. _Ow!_ That hurt."

Steve grinned when he heard Catherine say, "That was a very sexist remark!"

"Steve, she used her knuckles on my arm," Danny whined.

He couldn't help but smile. "You deserved it. Cath, if you want to file a harassment report, I'll have one sent from HR."

"No need," she sweetly replied. "I took care of it myself."

"I bet you did. Keep me posted."

"Will do. Be careful."

Steve put away his phone and glanced at his watch. He had been walking for just over two hours and would soon reach the summit. He could already see activity and recognized Max Bergman as one of the people working. He wasn't surprised to find Max on top of the mountain, given the man's affinity for spelunking and rappelling into caves. It only stood to reason that he would love to winch down to a crime scene.

"Commander!" Max called when Steve reached the site. "It is good of you to join us. How was your trip up? Certainly not as thrilling as mine," the ME said, his smile speaking volumes at his barely contained excitement.

"Mine was uneventful, Max. No sign of foul play on the way up." Steve glanced at the site. "So what can you tell me? Do we have a time of death yet?"

"Yes, of course. Based on Mr. Keaki's liver temp and lividity, our victim died between seven forty five and eight thirty this morning."?

Steve looked at his watch and calculated. "It took me just a little over two hours to get here, but I took my time. He would have had to leave before six to avoid being seen by the guard down below. But if he left much earlier than that, he would have climbed in the dark, which isn't the smartest thing to do. I would guess that he was killed shortly after he reached the top. Did he have a flashlight with him?"

"None has been found," Max replied. "No cell phone either." Max picked up a sealed bag. "But we do have this," he said and handed the knife to Steve. "I bagged and documented it so that it would not be further contaminated. There's blood on the blade as well as on the hilt."

"And… there's a fingerprint," Steve observed the bloody print. "Have you—"

"- sent it to Detective Kelly? Yes, we have. But I can already tell you that the blood is not Mr. Keaki's."

Steve looked at the body sprawled next to the three-sided metal building which had been 'decorated' with graffiti. "There's no blood," he said.

"There is not," Max agreed, then lifted the man's right hand, showing the palm. "Except from where he gripped the weapon."

"Do you have a cause of death?" Steve asked, glancing around the site, seeing no blood anywhere except on the knife itself.

"I have a likely cause of death," Max stipulated and kneeled next to the body. Steve mimicked him on the opposite side and watched as the ME turned the victim's head. Behind his left ear, they could see a swollen, purple bruise.

"Blunt force trauma?" Steve asked.

"Presumed," Max hedged. "I will know more once I get him to my office."

Steve nodded then stood as his phone rang. He again put the call on speaker. "Chin, what have you got?"

"Well, the print came back to none other than Mr. Keaki."

"In other words, our victim may be the perpetrator?"

"Looks like a lot of blood on that knife, Boss. Any blood trail?" Kono asked.

Steve looked at Max for confirmation but told them, "Negative. Max said nothing has been disturbed." One of the CSU techs joined them and Steve asked, "What do you have?"

"We dusted but found nothing. The trash in the building has been bagged but I doubt it pans out for anything. Dr. Bergman, we are ready to call the chopper as soon as the body is ready for transport."

"Steve, do you need Mr. Keaki for anything further?"

"No, go ahead. Chin, did you get all that?" Steve walked around the perimeter, checking for anything out of the ordinary.

"Yeah, doesn't sound like much to go on."

"I'm checking on the truck," Kono told him. "Haven't found anything yet."

"It may be nothing," Steve admitted. "I'm going to double check for blood on the stairs down."

"You do know..." Chin said. "You could hitch a ride back on the chopper."

Steve grinned. "Yeah? Where's the fun in that?"

Five minutes later, the phones of all the team members began dinging, indicating a text. Upon checking their phones, they had to laugh upon seeing the photo. Commander Steve McGarrett had posted a "selfie" of himself standing on top of the Haiku Stairs, grinning from ear to ear. The accompanying text said, "Bet you wish you were here."

**- - - H50 - - - **

Steve made good time on the way down but watched closely for any sign of blood on the steps. While the blood on the knife had set and was no longer wet, it still had looked fairly recent. There had to be blood somewhere other than on Keaki's hand. Still watching his surroundings, he answered his phone.

"Chin, anything?"

"Yes. I remembered that people who hike the stairs usually park in the neighborhood about a mile away to keep from being caught. So, we sent HPD to check for Keaki's car. They found that and also a white Dodge Ram parked right down the street. They ran plates for all the surrounding cars as well. The truck _and_ another vehicle parked there miraculously happen to belong to the two other guys who were suspects in the robbery six years ago."

"That's rather an odd coincidence," Steve replied.

"And you know how I feel about coincidences," Chin added. "Kono has done some digging into the robbery, so I'll let her fill you in."

"Hey, Boss. Only one item was stolen – an artifact supposedly dating back to Kamehameha's time that was valued at around 80 grand. It was a statue of a goddess and was taken from the home of Mr. Enaku Makai. The statue simply disappeared; no record that anyone ever tried to fence it. I checked out Makai and learned that he passed away a couple of weeks ago."

"And this gets even better," Chin added. "The owner of the white truck is Raymond Mahoe, who happens to be Makai's sister's son."

"What evidence did they have against these guys?" Steve asked.

"Circumstantial," Chin replied. "The uncle said Raymond and his friends had been hanging around, but there was no evidence they were there at the time of the theft. These guys were young at the time – police split them up trying to get them to talk but none of them ratted. Their stories all matched and they stuck by their alibi stating they hadn't stolen anything."

"And yet, two weeks after the old man's death, all three of them meet on the same street."

"Which means if they all went up the stairs, two of them left the mountain," Chin replied.

"Yeah. It appears so. But I'm going to guess that at least one of them is bleeding. Although I haven't seen any evidence of that."

"Where are you, Steve?" Kono asked.

"Almost to the lowest platform," he replied. "I'll call Danny and Cath for pick up."

"OK, see you soon," Chin replied. "I'm pulling all I can on Mahoe and the other guy, Dennis Johns, but so far, they have been under the radar for the last several years. All appear to be model citizens. Danny and Cath checked both of their houses and no one was at home."

"See what you can find," Steve told him. "Talk to you soon." He ended the call and then called Catherine's phone.

"Hey, handsome!" she greeted him. He grinned, hearing Danny making barfing noises in the background.

"PDA," he heard Danny yell.

"Hi, Cath. I need a ride. Didn't know if you both wanted to swing by or if you are near headquarters, you can stop and get my truck and bring it over."

"Yeah, sure, I can do that," she told him. "We were just heading back to the Palace after checking out a couple of houses. I assume you've heard from Chin?"

"Yeah, sounds like our boys got back together this morning for a reason. Kind of odd that it is right after Makai died."

"Yeah, a little suspect, isn't it?" Danny said after Catherine placed the call on speaker. "You almost down?"

"I'm at the first platform," Steve said, stopping to look at the scenery around him. "Cath, I should be in the parking lot in half an hour to forty-five minutes."

"Got it. See you soon."

"See you tomorrow, Danny."

"Later, Steven."

Steve remained on the platform for a few moments longer, enjoying the breeze and the view. This portion of the trail was rocky but trees were sparsely growing down below on one side of the mountain. He glanced around, and then his attention was drawn back to the right. At this angle, on the descent of the mountain, he saw something blue down below. The only way he would have seen it on the way up was to turn around to look down. Steve dropped his backpack to the ground and pulled out the binoculars. The blue he discovered was a shirt… and he could make out that it was splattered with red. Other than that, through the brush, he could see an arm. Steve assumed the blood was from a knife wound, but he had no way to verify that fact other than going to the body. And there was also the possibility that the guy was still alive.

He dropped the binoculars back into the pack and pulled out his rope, tying it off on one of the metal railings. He threw the bundled rope down and watch with satisfaction that it unrolled to its full length.

Steve looked down the slope and calculated how to best go down. The path here was fairly easy down one side of the mountain so he swung over the railing ready to hold the rope and drop to the ground. For a moment he thought about calling in his find before going down, but he decided he would call when he reached the body.

Steve checked the security of the spring catch and the rope and then grabbed it and jumped the short distance to the ground beneath the stairs. His feet had barely touched the ground when Steve saw a shadow from beneath the platform.

The steps in this area were built up above the base of the mountain, so there was enough room for someone to hide underneath. It was clear that no normal hiker was lurking in this place, so Steve let go of the rope with his right hand and reached for his weapon.

But it was already too late, he was struck in his left temple and fell backward. Steve was dazed from the hit and lost his footing, he dropped his Sig which skidded to a stop somewhere beneath him. He tried to stay on his feet but the momentum from when he stumbled backwards and the downward slope let him crash onto his back.

For a second he was unable to draw in a breath and Steve struggled to see where was up and down. He was still in movement, sliding down the mountain. Before he could do anything to change his position and try to stop his descent, he jerked to a stop when his right foot tangled in the rope.

Steve groaned in pain when his leg felt like it was ripped off. The worst pain coming from his ankle that took the brunt of his weight when he came to such a sudden stop.

Steve looked around for his gun, but was unable to locate it. He had no idea where it had landed. He attempted to right himself despite the pain in his ankle and the hammering in his head. Steve knew he was in a vulnerable position and his attacker would have no problem finishing him off.

Suddenly the rope that was still keeping him from sliding further down, went slack and Steve's downward slide began once again.

Steve tried to grab at the scrubby plants or whatever came in his path on his way down, but only managed to turn so that he wasn't still toppling head first. He felt a searing pain when his side impacted with a jagged boulder. Unfortunately it didn't stop his uncontrolled fall down the mountain. Steve had given up on the hope that this was a slide down the mountain, he was falling and rolling more than slowly sliding.

He gained even more momentum the longer he fell. Every impact on the unforgiving ground littered with little rocks and roots, caused new bruises to form. Finally he landed hard on another bigger rock, which, yet again, took his breath away. He jerked to a stop when the rope caught on something up the mountain, most likely on one of the roots he had had close contact with just moments ago.

Steve lay there on his stomach, half-way on the edge of the boulder, panting for breath, looking at the mountain below him. Before he could move to a more secure position he felt the rope give way and he grabbed desperately for the edge of the rock to stop his fall.

His dusty hands couldn't find purchase on the boulder's smooth surface and he slid and toppled once again downward.

And this time he didn't stop until his head connected with the base of a tree.

**- - - H50 - - -**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Thank you all so much for reading. It was my turn to reply to all reviewers for chapter 2, if I failed to reply to someone, please know it was not intentionally. We both greatly appreciate all your kind words._**

**_We hope you will enjoy the next chapter. Let us know in your comments._**

**_Sam_**

* * *

_**Stairwa**__**y to Heaven**_

_**Chapter 3**_

"Hey, Danny, have you heard from Steve? I've been waiting for about twenty minutes and no sign of him yet. He's not picking up his phone."

Danny glanced at the time. "Not a word. Maybe he just got delayed. And I would guess phone service is iffy on that mountain. Want me to head over there?"

"Um… no, I'm sure you're right. I'll try to call him again. Thanks."

Danny called her back five minutes later. He wasn't sure why, but he had a niggling fear that all was not right. "Where's Paul Bunyan?" he asked.

"I don't know and I'm now worried. I talked to the guard and he hasn't seen anyone, so I climbed the ladder at the beginning of the stairs and didn't see him coming down at all. And you can see pretty far from that location."

"OK, I'm headed over. Are you still on the stairs?"

"Yeah, I'm heading up. I also called Chin to ping Steve's phone."

"Watch for me, I'll head up when I get there."

"Thanks, Danny," she whispered, her voice laced with concern.

"When he comes down, give him one of those knuckle sandwiches you gave me this afternoon," Danny told her. "That'll straighten him out."

"Yeah?" she said. "You know this is Steve we're talking about, right?"

- - - H50 - - -

_Off the Haiku Stairs 1989…_

_Steve groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, but that didn't improve his vision at all. He chided himself for being stupid when he realized that all the blinking in the world wouldn't give him better vision if he didn't turn his head to the side. Away from the thick vegetation he was currently lying in face down._

_Steve slowly turned his head and groaned when the movement made him sick to his stomach. He felt just like when Billy had tackled him from behind a few weeks ago. But then he had worn a helmet and had a lot of pads everywhere. Right now he was only clad in shorts and a tee shirt, and he just knew that he would be bruised all over. He closed his eyes again when the world wouldn't stop spinning._

_He could feel something warm and sticky trickle down the side of his head. Steve raised his arm to touch the hurting spot, but cried out when the movement brought on a fierce pain shooting into his shoulder. Steve bit his lip and was not even ashamed when tears ran down his cheeks, mixing with the blood on their way._

_Steve lay his head back down, sobbing now from the pain in his shoulder, head and back. He slowly rolled onto his non-hurting right side and cradled his arm to his chest, trying to avoid all movement to his hurting shoulder. He looked down to his legs and could see that his right one was bleeding from a gash that went from his knee a few inches down his shin. Steve could also see lots of scrapes and scratches on his arms._

_And his shorts were torn, his mom would be so mad about that. Steve sniffled when he was finally able to stop crying. He blinked the last tears away, and used his right arm to push himself to a sitting position. The sound he made when the movement again rattled his shoulder was a mix of a grunt and a sob. _

"_Steve?"_

_Steve looked up when he heard his name from not that far away. "Kami, I'm here," he called back. _

_A moment later he saw his friend slowly sliding down closer to him. Kami was sitting on his backside and slowly and carefully moved towards him. _

"_Watch out for the roots," Steve called out when Kami's foot caught under one of the many roots in his path. _

"_Got it," Kami said and changed course to avoid the uneven ground. It took him another minute to reach Steve._

"_Steve, are you hurt?" were Kami's first words when he reached his friend. "I mean... does anything hurt bad?"_

_Steve sniffled again and spit out before he answered, "I think my shoulder's broke or somethin'."_

"_Can you move your arm?" Kame asked while he took a closer look at the bloody gash on Steve's leg. "Ugh, that looks gross."_

"_Uh uhn... it hurts," Steve said and tried to stop the tears. "I feel sick," Steve added and couldn't keep himself from throwing up. Adding embarrassment to pain. _

_Kami wordlessly took off his bandana and cleaned his friend as best he could. "We have some bottles of water, we can clean you up a bit more when we get them down here," Kami whispered. "Steve?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_I won't tell anyone," Kami promised._

_Steve was still embarrassed but mumbled a quick "Thanks" for his friend's thoughtfulness. _

"_Do you think you can climb back up?" _

"_No. My head hurts bad, Kami," Steve said and leaned back against the rock that had ultimately stopped his descent. "I don't think I can get up."_

"_Okay," Kami said and bit his lip in thought. "I'll go back up and help Cale down here. We can get the water and the first aid kit down, and then I'll go and get help."_

"_NO! No, Kami, it'll get dark soon, you can't go down now... ow..." Steve groaned when he had moved forward to grab his friend. "Ow... stop… it's too dangerous to climb down in the dark."_

"_I'll be careful."_

"_No. Even if you make it down... then what? There's nothing there, and the first bus will be in the morning," Steve tried to make his friend see reason. "Please don't leave me here."_

"_Then what do we do?"_

"_Get Cale down here, bring the sleeping bags, we can camp here tonight. And in the morning, I'm sure I can make it up to the trail and we can head back down," Steve told his friend._

"_Maybe Dorian did call for help," Kami wouldn't completely rule it out._

"_I don't think so," Steve said in disgust. _

"_Okay, you just sit here and I'll get Cale and the supplies. Don't go to sleep, stay awake," Kami said as an afterthought. He wasn't sure why that was important, but he had heard his mom tell his dad to stay awake after he had hit his head._

" '_K," Steve answered with his eyes already closing._

"_I'll be right back."_

_It took almost half an hour for the two friends to make their way down to where Steve was still resting against the rock. _

"_Steve?" Kami touched his friend's leg to get his attention._

"_Hmm... you're back," Steve mumbled and slowly opened his eyes. He grinned at Cale, "hey."_

"_I'm so sorry, Steve. This is all my fault."_

"_What? No, it's not. It's Dorian's fault. You didn't do nothing wrong," Steve told his friend and grimaced when he moved his foot. His ankle had started to hurt a few minutes ago. "Cale, can you please open my boot?" _

"_Sure," the young boy said and got right to work. "You want me to take it off?"_

"_No, just open it a little." Steve was sure he wouldn't be able to get the foot back into his boot if he took it off. But the ankle was badly swollen and it needed more room, so opening the laces should help._

"_Is it better this way?"_

"_Yeah, thank you," Steve said and hissed when Kami poured some water over the wounds on his leg. "Ouch."_

"_Sorry. We can put a bandage on it," Kami said and took a roll of gauze out of the first aid kit Steve had grabbed out of the garage._

_Ten minutes later Steve sported a bandage on his leg and another around his head. The bleeding had stopped but Kami had insisted on the head bandage. "It looks pretty cool. There is a little blood coming through. Does your head still hurt?" _

"_Yeah," Steve said and adjusted the home-made sling Kami had made out of two elastic bandages. His arm was now secured to his chest and Steve had to admit it didn't hurt so much anymore. The Boy Scout first aid badge was useful for something after all._

"_You're shivering, Steve. Are you cold?" Cale asked._

"_A little." _

_The shivering had started before he felt cold. He didn't realize that his body was showing the first signs of shock loud and clear. The first aid training they had with the Boy Scouts couldn't prepare the 12-year-olds for dealing with an injured friend. It was one thing to train for it in a safe setting, and then to experience it firsthand. Steve's skin was clammy, his pulse way too fast. He was dizzy and cold. "I don't feel so good," Steve admitted. _

"_You need to drink some water, and then you should get into the sleeping bag," Kami said and got Steve's sleeping bag out of the back pack. They were on a small but flat area about 50 feet below the stairs and there was just enough room for the three boys. If the rock hadn't stopped Steve's fall he would have fallen at least another 100 feet. And that would have surely ended in his death._

_It took a bit of maneuvering until Steve was settled in the sleeping bag, but they managed to make him as comfortable as possible. Cale had taken his jacket out of the pack and they used it as a pillow for Steve. He was now resting between the two friends who were watching as their friend slipped into sleep._

- - - H50 - - -

"Danny, I just got off the phone with Cath. Steve's phone is on and he's still on the mountain," Chin told him. "Are you going to meet her?"

"Yeah, I just pulled into the parking area next to the guard. Hang on and I'll see if he's heard anything."

"Hi, we met this morning," Danny said. "Any word from Catherine Rollins or Commander McGarrett?"

"No, Sir. No one has come down all day long. I believe the Rollins woman is up at the top of the ladder."

"Thanks," Danny said and headed in the direction Steve had shown him this morning. "Chin, did you get that?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm checking Steve's phone location with the elevation in the place it is, and something is off."

"What do you mean, 'off'?" Danny asked while carefully picking his way through shoots of bamboo.

"I don't like the looks of this," Chin muttered.

"Of what?" Danny barked.

"According to this, Steve's phone isn't on top of the stairway. It is about a hundred feet below that mark."

Danny ran his hand through his hair. "Hell's bells," he mumbled. "What the hell has he gotten into this time?"

"Maybe nothing," Chin replied. "Kono and I are on our way. I'll get a chopper in the air to see if they can spot him. Do you need anything?"

"Yeah, grab the extra set of Steve's keys from his office. There might be something in the truck box that we need."

"Good idea. We'll bring supplies…just in case."

"Hey! Wait, I might have something." Danny interrupted. "Get CSU over here. I'm at the base of the ladder and there's a patch of bamboo that we came through this morning. It was undisturbed. Now, there are crushed plants and I think I detect some blood. And it looks fresh."

"The sun's going down soon. I'll get CSU and some lights."

"Good. I'm headed up to find Catherine."

Danny put away his phone and grabbed the ladder with both hands. He had changed into tennis shoes after Catherine's first call, because he just knew that one way or another, he would be climbing up these fricking steps. He reached the top and looked around, spotting Cath above him, hundreds of steps away. "Holy shit," he breathed seeing the steps between his location and hers. Once he began walking, he called her, watching as she stopped and looked around while taking the call.

"Hey, Cath!"

"Danny. Have you heard anything?" she asked, waving to let him know she spotted him.

"No, but Chin and Kono are on their way and just to play it safe, they are sending a chopper up before dark."

"Good. Danny, I'm worried," she told him, turning around and climbing a few more steps.

"OK, before you go all girly on me, think about who we're talking about. He probably just saw something pretty and wandered off."

Catherine chuckled in spite of herself. "Did you just tell me not to go 'girly' on you? What's with the sexist comments today?"

Danny grinned. "I got you to smile, didn't I? Let's hang close until we hear from Chin. I saw some of the bamboo trampled down below. It wasn't that way when Steve and I walked through it this morning. I also saw some blood."

"You think Steve is chasing—"

"No, I think he's up ahead. His phone is still up there. Cath…"

"What?" she asked, stopping and turning around again to see his progress.

"Chin aligned the phone's location with a topographical map or something and it isn't on the stairs. In fact, from what he can tell, it is over the side."

"What? We have to find him!" She turned and began to rush up the steps.

"Hold it, Cath," Danny said. "We're going. Just take it easy. We'll find him. In fact, will you stay there for a couple of minutes and let me make some headway so you won't be so far ahead? This area is fairly level so I can make good time.

She took a deep breath and looked around before finally agreeing. "OK, no running. Now enough talk; let's move it."

- - - H50 - - -

"We're down below," Chin said over the phone while reaching into the back seat for his backpack and gear. Kono carried additional supplies. "But there's a problem."

"What's going on?" Danny asked. He was just about a hundred yards from Catherine and she had stopped to wait for him to catch up.

"There's been a boating accident off Kaena Point on the north of the island. Most of the rescue squad is heading that direction with their choppers. Several people are in the water. It will probably be dark before one of them can get back here to us."

"Damn."

"Yeah. We're ready to start the climb, so we won't be too far behind you. CSU is here and are talking to the guard right now. Hey, I'm getting another call."

"Kelly." He waited a beat and then smiled. "Excellent. Do me a favor and offer Raymond a seat in the Blue Room, please. And then let Duke Lukela know he is there. Have Duke call me."

"They found Raymond?" Kono asked, arranging her pack on her back.

"Yeah, let me get Danny back on the line. Hey," he began when Danny answered. "I do have some good news. I had an unmarked car parked on the street where these guys had parked, hoping at least one of them would show up. Raymond just got there. HPD said he is bleeding from cuts on both legs, probably from the bamboo. But the best news is that he has the statue in his backpack. Bad news is that it has blood on it, so they are taking it to Charlie."

Danny paused at that news. "We need to talk to him," Danny said. "Ask about Steve."

"Let's let Duke handle that for the time being," Chin said. "We have a mountain to climb."

"I have an idea," Danny said. "Let me call you back." He scrolled through the numbers before finding what he wanted.

"Hey, Big Guy, I need your help." Danny said and quickly explained the situation to Kamekona, asking him to fly over the mountain again. "Yes, I know it's getting close to dusk. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't an emergency. OK, yeah, thanks."

Unable to stand and wait patiently, Catherine had walked a few feet down the stairs to meet Danny. "Who was on the phone?" she asked. "Any news?"

Danny reached out and hugged her and turned her around so that they both were moving in the upward direction. "First, Chin said that they caught Raymond when he got back to his truck. He's in custody and Duke will meet him in the Blue Room for a little one-on-one. Second, there was a boating accident on the north shore and all rescue helicopters are in use. But, not to worry, I just called Kamekona and he's going to head up to take a look."

Twenty minutes later they heard the whap-whap of the rotors and stopped walking to watch the caricature of Kamekona's face fly overhead. He crossed over the stairs, then banked to come back around, slowing to almost a hover as he looked out the bubble.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I would ask his help as a pilot," Danny muttered.

"He did really well on his tests," Catherine assured him. "Well, after lots of instruction, but he passed."

"His knowledge isn't what concerns me," Danny admitted. "It's… other things. Like maybe his lack of concentration."

The helicopter was up near the next ridge from them and dipped closer to the ground before moving away, only to bank again.

"Detective," Kamekona said when Danny answered his phone. "There's a body. Was the boss man wearin' shorts and a blue shirt?"

"No," Danny replied.

"Den dis fella ain't him," the pilot said. "I didn't see any sign of McGarrett, but I'll do another fly over. But it's getting too dark fo' me to see da ground."

"Check once more," Catherine asked him. "Please."

There was no sign of Steve but Kamekona stayed in the air until they walked up nearer to the body he did find before waving and turning away to head back to the shrimp truck.

Immediately, they saw the cut end of rope still around the railing. "OK, Steve was through here earlier and said he didn't see anything that shouldn't be here," Danny said, looking down below utilizing the last rays of the sun before it dipped behind a mountain. "So, I'm guessing he went down with this rope."

Catherine walked farther up the stairs, then turned around to view the area from another angle. "I can see the guy in the blue shirt!" she exclaimed. "He's right under you… but out of the line of sight because of that boulder."

Cath continued to examine the area. "I see him!" she suddenly called out. "Danny, I see Steve." She came back down where Danny had waited for her. She pointed to a cluster of trees down below, "he's in there. We have to get down there… he's not moving. I couldn't see if he's…"

"OK, hold on, we will, but you can't go over the side without a rope," he told her. "We have to wait for Chin."

"He needs to hurry." She paced up the steps once again, and then glanced to the right, away from Steve's location. "Look over here. His backpack is on this side."

Danny followed her and looked where she pointed. "Yeah, I'd recognize that anywhere." They walked a bit further and she showed him Steve's location. He called it in to Chin and asked for as much help as was available.

- - - H50 - - -

Catherine was ready to jump over the side by the time Chin and Kono arrived with lights and a rope. They tied it off and she argued with them that she was going down first. Danny said that because he was Steve's partner, he should go, which caused a ruckus with the rest of them saying he shouldn't even attempt the trip down. Period.

"Brah, it is almost totally dark and you don't know the terrain or have the skills to scale down a mountain," Chin argued.

"Contrary to popular belief, I used to hike in upstate New York when I was a kid. I can get down there," Danny argued. "Hey, I'm getting down there one way or another."

Chin looked at the terrain. "OK," he finally said. "But I'm going down with you. We can take the supplies down together." He took the rope out of Catherine's hands. "And… Danny and I are going first." She started to argue and he held up his hand to stop her. "I know you want to be down there now, but we are going first. And if we have to, we can pull rank. This isn't negotiable."

Catherine stared at him, ready to argue, but realized that would waste valuable time.

Kono put her hand on Catherine's arm. "Come on, we can spot them from here and hold the extra lights. Help me out, OK?"

Cath nodded, disappointed but agreeing. "Yeah, just… just let me know what's going on."

Chin removed a walkie-talkie from one of the backpacks and handed it to her. "Let's conserve our phones and use these," he said. "Danny, I'll go over first and you follow right behind me."

Danny adjusted his backpack and agreed. "I'm ready. Let's go." He gave Cath a thumbs up. "We'll call as soon as we get there."

She paced while watching them go down the mountain at a slow pace. They were doing fine although they both had skidded a bit trying to gain purchase on the rocky soil.

Kono had gone through the supplies they brought with them and found a grappling hook which she used to retrieve Steve's backpack. "Hey, here's binoculars," she said, handing them to Catherine.

"Thanks," she said, quickly zooming in on Steve's body. While it wasn't completely dark, the shadows on the mountain made it difficult to really see any distance.

"Kono! He moved. I can see him. And… they need to get there fast…I think he's trying to get up!"

- - - H50 - - -


	4. Chapter 4

**Stairway to Heaven - Chapter 04**

Steve groaned and lifted his hand to see why his head felt like it had been pummeled into the ground. But the movement tugged on his side and caused another groan when pain lanced through him. He pried open his eyes and stared upward, seeing something dark dancing above his head. _Well, that tells you nothing. _

He knew he would hate himself for it, but he raised his head to see what was going on. _Shit_, _that hurts_. His eyes immediately began to water but he also remembered cartoons with stars dancing around Wiley Coyote's head. He now knew what that actually looked like. Steve reached out his hand and touched the rough surface of the pine tree. And then he remembered the Haiku Stairs and a body down below. _Make that two bodies down below._

Steve tried to take stock of his body. If he wasn't lying on the ground he was certain his head would have fallen off his shoulders, so he tried to keep still in the hope that it would stop pounding soon. His side felt like it was on fire and the rest of his body throbbed in various places to the rhythm of his heart. But he determined those injuries to be minor.

What didn't feel minor and was hard to ignore was the pain in his right foot and the deep ache in his left side. His foot throbbed in his too tight boot and he was sure he wouldn't be able to stand on it. Steve snorted at the thought of him getting up. Right now he couldn't even properly raise his head; standing up was out of the question. But he at least had to try.

After all, he was at the bottom of a mountain. In the dark. _Get your phone._ Steve felt the pocket which normally held his phone and came up empty. _Damn. You're screwed._

And then he remembered that he was supposed to meet Catherine at the bottom of the stairs.

_Make that double screwed._

Steve knew he couldn't lie there without at least trying to help himself, so he managed to scoot up on one elbow. His vision darkened and he felt close to passing out when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey! Stay put," the voice yelled. "I didn't come down that mountain on my ass just to watch you get up!"

Steve grinned and gratefully slid back down to wait for Danny. _Cavalry's here._

"Hey you," Danny said, placing a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Got bored with the stairs, I presume?"

"Somethin' like that," he muttered. "The tree hit me in the head."

"What?" He quickly looked at Chin, thinking his partner was delirious. "Are you saying this is the tree's fault?"

"Damn straight, Danno." Steve paused, and then added, "Man, I've got a headache."

"I'll bet," Chin told him while they dropped all their packs. "You also have a girlfriend at the top of this mountain who is anxious to get down here," he informed Steve as he reached for his radio.

"Tell her to—" Steve began, but sighed and stopped himself. "Never mind, she'll do it anyway."

"Yep, we're talking about the same girl," Danny said.

"Chin to Catherine."

Steve reached out his hand and motioned with his fingers. "Let me."

They heard Cath's voice say "Go ahead, Chin," and he depressed the button and held the walkie talkie out to Steve.

"Be careful comin' down," Steve mumbled.

They heard the catch in her voice before she agreed. "Aye, aye, Commander. Be there soon."

Steve nodded and closed his eyes, the strength to stay awake leaving him. "Watch her, Chin," he whispered.

"Will do, Steve, but you need to stay awake for a minute and tell Danny what's wrong with you."

" 'K."

Danny leaned in close to his partner, examining the bruised and bloody raised knot on his temple. "I know you have a headache from hell, but what else hurts? I'm worried about your neck and back, so try not to move around much. Can you wiggle your toes?"

Steve thought for a moment about all the pains all over his body. "Yeah, nothing feels broken," Steve paused and then corrected himself. "Maybe my right foot, it feels tight and is throbbing inside my boot. And there's somethin' wrong with my side," he indicated with his hand, "back there… hurts."

Danny looked where he was pointing and found a bloody tear in his shirt. "Yeah, looks like you cut yourself pretty badly. We'll get you patched up, but it looks like transport won't be until tomorrow. There was a bad accident on the north shore right before we got word that you were down here."

"S'OK," Steve slurred, his eyes closing once again. Now that help was there the adrenaline rush he had upon coming to was fading fast.

"Do you remember how you got down here?" Danny asked.

"I fell. Slid. And rolled. Over and over. Danno?"

"Yeah, Babe?"

"Kinda dizzy."

"Do you feel sick?"

He thought, then said, "Not really." He half-way waved his hand in the air. "Just spinning."

"Let me know if you feel sick, OK. Do you remember _**why**_ you fell?"

Steve thought for a moment, his face one of determination. "Um…yeah, there's a body down…" he waved the hand around again, "over there, I think. I was just gonna check it out but someone… Danny, there's someone else up here. He was hiding under the stairs and kicked me, then he cut the rope after I fell." Steve now remembered in vivid color how he painfully tumbled down the mountain. For the second time in his life.

"Not to worry, we have him in custody." Danny looked up and saw Chin grab Catherine's hand for her final jump down onto the rock to reach them. Kono was right behind her, carrying Steve's backpack. "We've got company, Steve."

"Huh?" His eyes were closed and he had a confused look on his face. "Who's here?" he slurred.

Danny frowned down at him; a look that didn't go unnoticed by Cath.

She leaned in close and placed her palm on the side of his head, checking the visible trauma on his face and head. "Hey, Sailor, fancy meeting you here."

Steve frowned, trying to follow the conversation. "Cath?"

"Yeah, it's me. We brought supplies and are going to patch you up, so just be patient with us, OK?"

"Un huh." He hadn't bothered opening his eyes and she looked at Danny with worry when Steve drifted to unconsciousness.

"Short term memory," he said in a low voice. "Probably a concussion. He's also bleeding from a wound on his side but I didn't want to move him before checking for broken bones," he told them when Chin and Kono gathered around them. Danny then pointed to Steve's foot which still had a coil of the rope wrapped around it. "He said his foot is painfully swollen and throbbing inside the boot."

Chin moved to unlace the boot. "Hopefully this will help, but I'd rather keep the boot on in case something is broken."

"Maybe we should log roll him to his side in case there's any back or neck injury," Danny suggested.

"I'll get the supplies set out," Kono said.

"Not a log," Steve mumbled. "I can hear ya."

Catherine smiled and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his scraped cheek.

Steve gave a lopsided grin. "That better not be Danno."

"Only in your dreams, Steven."

"Nightmares," Steve argued.

"Guys," Chin said, getting their attention. "Could we do less arguing and more working?" he asked them. "Steve, we're going to have to move you, so at the same time, I think we should get you onto one of the sleeping bags. That has to be better than lying on the hard ground and it doesn't look like you'll get off this mountain tonight."

"I can—"

"Hey, Boss. Just let us do the work," Kono interrupted. "We got'cha," she added with a grin.

There was a lot of grunting and groaning… mostly from the workers, but Steve was soon settled into a sleeping bag. A bandage was wrapped around his head, holding the dressing in place on his temple. There was also a bleeding cut to the back of his head from where he had collided with the tree.

The cut on Steve's side was jagged and raw, but had quit seeping blood before they began to cleanse it. Catherine had used a couple of bottles of water to flush as much dirt and rock that she could from the wound. It definitely needed medical attention, but it was as clean as they could make it with their meager supplies. She slathered antibiotic ointment on layered gauze on top of the wound then secured it with an Ace bandage around his abdomen.

Both Steve's hands were cut and scraped and his left one was raw from rope burns. It was treated and wrapped as well. His shirt and pants had been shredded in various places; the skin beneath scraped and cut. They cleaned them as well as they could although some of the deeper cuts should have been stitched. Painful looking bruises were already well formed all over his body. Cath had gently palpated his abdomen and lower belly for any signs of internal bleeding, but it looked like he had gotten away lucky. Now their main concern was the concussion and Steve's intermittent consciousness and memory loss.

Even while they were cleaning him up, he couldn't stay awake and each time he awoke had difficulty remembering where he was for a few moments.

Catherine was sitting on a second sleeping bag by Steve's side while he fitfully dozed. She absently rubbed his arm while listening to the others discussing their plan of action. It didn't concern her for the time being because she was right where she intended to stay regardless of the plans the team made.

Several minutes later it was decided that Chin and Kono would head back up top. The rope they had used to descend had been tied off around a tree and the trip back up should be easier, even in the dark. Before finishing their day, they would head back to the office to talk with Raymond who apparently was being very uncooperative with Duke. They hoped that by knowing Steve was alive and talking, it might cause him to reconsider confessing. Charlie Fong had also texted that the blood on the artifact was a match to Steve's, so even if they had nothing else, they had Raymond Mahoe on assault and attempted murder of a law enforcement official.

But even with that, they wanted to know what had happened to the other two dead bodies. Chin had managed to make his way over to where Dennis' body was located and got a positive ID and confirmed that Dennis was actually deceased.

A couple minutes after Chin and Kono had left, Danny's phone rang and Steve's face filled the screen. "Hello?" Danny hesitantly answered.

"Hey, Brah. Found the boss's phone and it doesn't even have a scratch on it."

"That's good, Kono, although I think Steve single-handedly keeps Apple in business with his numerous lost, smashed or water-logged iPhones. I'd hate for one of Steve Jobs' kids to go without shoes this month because we managed to salvage one."

Kono laughed "Brah, we don't even use iPhones, so the kids have to get their shoes without our help. … See you tomorrow. We'll be in touch."

**- - - H50 - - -**

Catherine and Danny settled on each side of Steve, each in a sleeping bag, but sitting there and watching him like hawks. It was nearing midnight but the stars were out in abundance, bathing the entire area in light. Steve had been quiet for a while before his face scrunched up in pain and he groaned.

"Hey, Steve, we're right here. Take it easy," Catherine whispered, touching his arm so that he could feel her presence.

He rolled his head in her direction and grimaced again. "Unh?" Steve struggled to open his eyes but they were too heavy and he lacked the strength to fully wake. "Kami?"

"What?" Cath asked, leaning closer to him and glancing at Danny with worry. "Steve, everything's OK" she soothed. "It's Catherine. Danny's here, too. Everything will be all right." She lightly rubbed her fingers across his forehead, on top of the bandage. "We've got you."

"Where's Cale?" Steve mumbled. "He still here?"

"Shh," she told him, confused at the names he was saying.

"Take care of Cale…" He settled back down and Catherine breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was weird," she remarked, leaning down to lightly touch his forehead with her lips.

"I'll watch him for a while," Danny offered. "Why don't you lie down for a bit and get some rest?"

"Thanks, Danny. I will later. Just not ready to stop and settle down yet. But you can lie down."

"Eh, I'm not sleepy yet either, so I guess we both will watch him for a while."

Catherine finally snuggled up close to Steve's side and closed her eyes, only to be wide awake again in minutes.

"What the hell were you thinkin, Cale?" Steve said in frustration. "I mean, glad you want to defend yourself, but come on…"

"Hey, Steve, it's Danny. You're OK. Go back to sleep."

"Dan-?"

"Yeah, buddy, I'm here."

"Where's Kami?"

"Who's Kami?" Danny patiently asked.

Steve huffed in frustration. "Cale, what's wrong with you? You should'a waited 'til we were down the stairs."

They waited for more dialogue but he drifted off again, only to mumble on and off for hours. At times, he knew Catherine and Danny but during other wakeful periods, Steve talked to unknown friends named Kami and Cale…

**- - - H50 - - -**

_**Haiku Stairs - 1989**_

"_Steve? Come on, Steve, wake up!" _

_He heard the voice like through a thick fog and just wished it would stop so he could go back to sleep. Steve was just about to drift back to deeper sleep when the events from yesterday slammed into him, and with it came the pain all over his body. But the worst was his head… or maybe his shoulder. He changed that opinion when he moved his foot and cried out from the pain charging all the way up his leg._

"_Steve?"_

"_Ugh... 'm awake," he whispered without opening his eyes._

"_You don't look awake," Kami said and lightly shook his friend's uninjured shoulder._

"_Ouch, stop that." Steve's eyes popped open when the jarring hurt not only his shoulder but also his head._

"_Now you look awake." Kami grinned at Steve._

_Steve only glared back and slowly sat up with the help of his two friends. The movement made him a little dizzy again, but at least he didn't feel sick._

"_What time's it?" Steve asked, still not fully awake._

"_Almost eight," Cale answered. _

"_What?" Steve couldn't believe how much time had passed. "We gotta get back up to the stairs and make our way down," Steve said without much enthusiasm._

"_Steve, you think you can make it up to the stairs?" Kami asked and offered him an energy bar._

"_Yeah, I think so," Steve said but shook his head about the 'breakfast'. He wasn't sure his stomach could handle any food at the moment, he still felt a little queasy._

"_How's your head?" Cale asked._

"_Doesn't hurt that much right now," Steve answered. He was happy that the intense pain from just a few minutes ago had dissipated somewhat. But the longer he sat up the dizzier he felt._

"_Are you still dizzy?"_

_Steve looked at Kami and nodded, "a little."_

"_Maybe it would be better if I go to get help and you just wait here with Cale?"_

"_No, I can hike down the mountain. I'll be fine." Steve still hoped his dad wouldn't find out they had gone up the Haiku Stairs. "Our parents don't need to know that we were up here."_

"_How will you explain your injuries?" Kami was skeptical._

"_I'll tell them that I fell, but we don't have to tell them where."_

"_NO!" Cale called out. "Dorian pushed you, he needs to get punished for what he did."_

"_But then they will know what we did," Steve said._

"_You want to lie to your dad?" Kami asked._

"_No, just not telling the…" Steve paused and thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, that won't work," Steve finally agreed. He could never lie to his dad or mom like that. "You're right, Cale, we need to tell them. Dorian shouldn't get away like that."_

"_So, you wait here for help?" Kami asked in hope._

"_Hell, no!"_

**- - - H50 - - -**

"Shit!" Steve exclaimed in his sleep just before dawn.

"What's wrong?" Danny quickly asked, rolling onto his side in the sleeping bag to check on his friend.

"They're gonna kill us," Steve mumbled.

Danny looked at Catherine who had sat up on Steve's other side. He shrugged at her blank look and asked, "Who's going to kill us?"

"Parents, you moron."

"Why?"

"Why? Geez, Cale, what's wrong with you? Your mom's gonna kill you, too. We weren't s'posed to ever climb up here. Like E.V.E.R. 'M gonna be grounded until I'm forty."

Danny grinned and whispered, "Do you get the feeling that Steve has been in trouble on these stairs before today?" he asked.

"I can't wait to find out the answer to that," Cath told him when Steve settled into sleep once again. "Wonder how soon the chopper will get here?"

_**HPD precinct - 1989**_

_John McGarrett looked at the youngster lingering by the door and wondered if he would make up his mind anytime soon. He had been watching the maybe 14-year-old boy for the last few minutes. Just when he had decided to go over and ask him if he needed help the boy took a few tentative steps toward the front desk._

_John smiled and turned back to the paperwork piling up on his desk, but was soon interrupted by Duke Lukela who was manning the front desk today._

"_John, this is Marty Swan, he said he needs to talk to you," Duke told him._

"_Marty, have a seat," John offered the obviously nervous boy a seat next to his desk. "Thanks, Duke."_

"_Sure. Call me if you need anything."_

"_So, Marty, what can I do for you? Are you in trouble?" John turned his full attention to the fidgeting boy._

"_I... we... Sir, I'm so sorry," Marty began and then looked down to the floor._

"_Marty, what did you do?"_

"_I... I didn't do it, Sir. Dorian... but he said not to tell anyone... but... he fell, and..."_

"_OK, slow down. Start from the beginning," John interrupted._

"_We-"_

"_Who is 'we'?"_

"_Me, Dorian, Max and Keanu. Yesterday we went hiking... up the Haiku Stairs," Marty added in a low voice._

"_You went up the Haiku Stairs?" John McGarrett asked in a stern voice. "That is really dangerous, they are closed for a reason. OK, then what happened?"_

"_On our way down... there were these three kids... they were on their way up, and taking a break, I guess... Dorian... he made fun of them, but then he started picking on Cale...," Marty said and paused, gathering his thoughts. "Dorian was really mad after Steve pushed him away from Cale, and then..." _

"_Wait, what? Steve and Cale? Who was the third boy?" McGarrett got a really bad feeling about this. __How many Cales could there be on the islands with a friend whose name was Steve?_

"_Yeah, Kami, they're all in the same class."_

_McGarrett swore under his breath. "What happened then, Marty?"_

"_Dorian went after Cale, but Steve jumped in and... Dorian, he rammed into him... Steve... he crashed against the rail and then... then he fell down the mountain and was just gone..."_

"_Oh my God. This was yesterday?" After receiving a nod in the affirmative, McGarrett stood up and wasn't sure if he should slap this boy silly or hug him for coming forward. "You stay here," John ordered, pointing at the chair. He then called Duke over._

"_What's going on?"_

"_Steve and his friends are in trouble," John didn't dare even think that his son might be dead. "We need to call in rescue... Marty, you tell Officer Lukela everything you just told me, and tell him where we can find Dorian."_

"_Yes, Sir," Marty quietly said._

"_Duke, I gotta go, no time for an explanation." John McGarrett was out the precinct in seconds and on his way to the Haiku Stairs, already calling Fire & Rescue to organize the best and fastest way to get the three kids off the mountain._

**- - - H50 - - -**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sam & Cokie:** Unfortunately, this chapter is the last one we have ready for posting and will be the last update until we can wrap our heads around the recent developments in the show. We assure you we are both still committed to finishing this story. But at the moment neither of us is in the right set of mind to edit the chapters to get them ready to be posted.

After the announcement that Catherine was leaving, we need to reevaluate how we can/will write in the future and we will keep you informed on our profiles. Hopefully our next chapter will be ready for posting by Monday, April 14 but we will keep you updated if that date changes.

We both greatly appreciate your support so far and hope you will understand and respect our time-out.

**Cokie:** While I have felt for a few weeks that the show was headed in this direction, I firmly hoped I was wrong. Now that it is a realization, I need to wrap my head around it before I can continue writing in my "universe". I told Sam today that Catherine was in the very first story I wrote. She wasn't included in every story, but her presence was always in the background and it will be difficult to write for Steve, knowing that she isn't there. I hope that good will come from this change in the show and that I can once again be proud of "my" show, but right now I feel a lot of sadness and uncertainty. While I know this is a TV show and only fiction, it is my relaxation and enjoyment. I already miss Catherine and Steve's relationship.

**Sam:** I really need time to think about how to write for Five-0 again. All my stories revolve around Cath and Steve in some way. She was always there for him, and she was an integral part of the show, and for sure to my stories. I just don't see how I can write a story set in the current time without Catherine in it.

What makes me really sad is the fact that I have stories in the can that most likely now will never see the light of day. But I will decide on that at the end of the season. They had been planned for the hiatus anyway.

Some of you might not understand our problem, but Steve and Cath were a huge motivation to write for Five-0, with them gone, that motivation is gone.

I love to write, and I know Cokie does too, but it takes a lot of time and energy to do so. A lot more than most non-writing-readers will ever know. To spend that time on writing, well, it needs to be something we truly enjoy and completely stand behind. And right now that is just not possible.

But we are working on something to get back in the swing of things.

* * *

**Stairway to heaven - Chapter 5**

Steve's first conscious thought was that he was cold. Which confused him since it felt like he was wrapped tightly in a cocoon. He tried to take stock of where he was, but drew a blank, although one of the few things Steve did know was that this wasn't his bed. His body ached from head to toe, with emphasis on his head. Knowing he could learn more by opening his eyes, Steve gave that option considerable thought before deciding against it. That would hurt way more than he was ready to accept, so he hoped to remain still and maybe figure it out on his own.

Unfortunately his body had other ideas and he shivered. The movement caused the pain to crescendo and in the distance, Steve thought he heard someone groan.

"Steve? Hey, are you awake?"

_Maybe that groan wasn't so far away. _There was movement on his left and he heard Catherine's voice whispering to him.

"Hmm?" He felt her hand touch his forehead and then she pushed the covers back to his chest. He then felt movement on his other side.

"Danny, he's burning up."

"Hey, Buddy, you with us?" Danny's voice asked.

It took Steve a few moments to realize Danny was speaking to him. "Uh… yeah. Where?"

He felt their hands on him, poking, checking, but he just couldn't muster up enough concern to even question why or care that they were invading his personal space.

"I can feel heat in his side and there's some seepage in the bandage," Catherine said quietly.

"It's almost daylight," Danny said. "Chopper should be able to take off soon after."

_Chopper?_ He knew it was time to open his eyes.

Steve slowly blinked and saw dark shadows dancing above his head. When he stared at them, they finally coalesced into some sort of pine needles and he deduced they were under a tree. The why was still a mystery.

"Hey, Sailor, you are awake," Catherine said. "Everything's fine," she assured him, her fingers gently touching his cheek.

He turned his head slightly in her direction, pleased to discover that it didn't roll right off his shoulders.

_Roll_. _He distinctly remembered rolling._ "Mountain," he said and tried raising his head. _OK, maybe that wasn't the smartest move_, he decided and quickly eased it back down.

"Easy, Steve," Danny said, now kneeling beside him on the right. "No sudden moves."

"Yeah, got it," he said, willing the sudden nausea to leave.

"Do you know who we are?" Danny asked.

"Danny, I'm not brain damaged. Of course I know who you are," Steve shot back, his remark eliciting a grin from his partner.

"Had to ask," Danny said. "Seeing as how you called me 'Cale' most of the night."

Steve opened his eyes wide and stared at his friend. "Did not… did I?"

"You did," Danny confirmed. "And Kami. Friends of yours?"

"Yeah, uh, long time ago."

"And when we are out of here, it is a story waiting to be told," Danny assured him.

"Do you remember what happened?" Cath asked.

Steve closed his eyes and collected his thoughts. "There's a body down here. I was coming down to see if he was alive but… there was someone under the steps. Took me out."

"I'm gonna guess he kicked you in the shoulder," Danny said. "You've got a heel print shaped bruise right there," he told him and gently touched his left shoulder.

"Help me up," Steve said, grasping Danny's arm.

"Oh, not just yet," his partner disagreed. "You just stay put. How's your head?"

"Hurts," Steve admitted. "Along with every other body part, but I need to move."

"Let's wait until help is here," Cath said. "We couldn't really check you out for broken bones."

Steve again took stock of his body. "Nothing feels broken," he decided. "Although my foot and my side both hurt worse than everything else. Well, except for my head."

Danny checked Steve's foot once again. "It's pretty swollen but we left it in your boot for the night. And you've got a nasty cut on your side that needs stitches."

Catherine added, "You're also running a fever, probably from onset of infection."

"I understand that, but I still need to get up," he argued. "Danny, help me." He grabbed hold of Danny's shoulder and pulled himself into a sitting position, biting his lip to keep from again groaning out loud.

Catherine quickly kneeled behind him so that he could lean against her body. "Steve, please just wait."

He tried to control his ragged breathing and finally said, "I'm good," lying through his teeth while the dizziness nearly took him out.

"Just sit there for a minute," Danny warned. "You're not getting up yet. A chopper will be here after daylight and Chin will be back with CSU to process the area and the body you found."

"We gotta move out from the tree cover for a chopper to get to us," Steve told them. "Besides, I can make it back up to the stairs."

Danny couldn't hold in the bark of laughter. "Do you remember the fall _**down?**_" he asked. "Wasn't once enough for you?"

"I'll be fine, just help me to my feet." He managed to get his left leg beneath him and got up on one knee, knowing he would need help to keep from face planting. "Come on," he ordered, his hand firmly fisted into Danny's shirt.

Catherine sighed and grabbed him beneath his arms. "OK, you big lug, let's get you up."

"Cath?" Danny asked.

"Danny, he's gonna do it with or without us, so let's at least get him upright. If he falls flat, maybe it will be a learning lesson."

"I sincerely doubt that," Danny grumbled, but the three of them managed to get Steve upright, although once he was standing, the tree was the only thing holding him in that position. His right arm was wrapped around the tree while his left held onto his side, willing the pain to ease. Steve's eyes were tightly closed and he was breathing swiftly through his mouth in an attempt to tamp down the nausea the movement had also brought.

She motioned for Danny to leave his friend alone to work through the pain. They bent down to gather up the items they had used last night, stowing them back into the backpacks.

Steve accepted the pain; then catalogued it and filed it in the back of his mind, intent on pushing through. He had gotten through much, much worse. Slowly he blinked again, staring in the distance and concentrating on not letting the dizziness overcome him. It took a couple of minutes before he took a deep breath and focused. "I'm good," he finally told them.

"Famous last words," Danny mumbled while rolling up the sleeping bags. "Crazy ass SEAL."

Catherine grabbed the backpacks and hoisted them onto both shoulders and moved to stand in front of Steve. "You," she said, poking him lightly in the chest, "do not move from this spot. Understood? We set up lines to bring down the packs last night and I'm dropping these off to be pulled back up. Once we get the gear over there, we'll decide how we're doing this."

"Cath, I can—"

"Sorry, Commander, you've been vetoed." In a quieter voice, she added, "Come on, Steve, please don't do anything stupid."

He knew she was right… and was acting in his best interests… so he sighed and agreed to stand down.

Still hugging a tree.

It didn't take but a few minutes for Danny and Catherine to have the site cleared and their supplies attached to a rope, ready to be hoisted up. Then they came back and stood in front of Steve. He had heard them talking between themselves and he knew he wasn't going to like what they were ready to propose… and he hadn't even heard the options yet!

"OK," Danny began. "Here's the deal. See that plateau up there? That's our goal."

Steve turned and looked just above their location where Danny was pointing. "Come on, Danno, we can go farther than that."

"Steve, you're injured," Cath reminded him. "And I can tell by the look on your face that you have a headache from Hades, most likely with a concussion. But because you are adamant about walking, we'll give it a try. Just realize there is no reason to push yourself. We can wait for help to arrive."

"I can walk, Cath," Steve said, and immediately flashed back to his last trip up this mountain.

Automatically his hand moved to his left shoulder when he remembered the old, phantom pain from that trip.

"Is your shoulder hurting?" Danny asked.

"Huh?" He quickly dropped his hand. "Yeah, a little, but it's OK. Just a bruise." He pushed away from the tree. "Let's go."

"Hold on there!" Danny said. "At least lean on me. And we're gonna take it slow, you got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, come on."

"_Chin to Danny."_

Catherine had the walkie talkie clipped to her jeans and grabbed it, answering, "Go ahead, Chin."

"_How are things?"_

"Not too bad," she told him. "Steve wants to walk back up, so what's new?"

"_Is that wise?"_

"Well, probably not."

"Tell him I can hear 'im," Steve complained, having stopped walking after three painful steps.

"Steve said he can hear you."

"Good. Kono and I are about five minutes away and the chopper just took off from Sand Island. It should be there in a few, so why doesn't he just wait for it?"

"Good question," she replied, "but we do need to move away from the tree line to have room for the chopper to maneuver."

"Got it. Be there soon."

Steve had injured the top of his foot, but he realized that his ankle was stable and had managed to walk without a lot of pain on the relatively flat ground where they had spent the night. Unfortunately, the first step walking _**upwards**_ caught him off guard. Pain traveled from his toes all the way through his hip and all points in between. His head ached with the same intensity and he concentrated on simply not being sick. Which took a lot of effort. Cold sweat trickled down his temple and also between his shoulder blades while he tried to simply focus on moving.

"Steve, let's stop," Cath asked from her position on his left, walking slightly behind them. "Please."

"A little bit more," he said through gritted teeth. Danny was calculating the steps and watching for unsafe spots, but when he and Steve both stepped onto a small sized boulder that appeared stable, it shifted, twisting Steve's already injured foot.

"Ahh!" Steve cried out from the piercing pain shooting up his leg. As he lost his balance, he realized they were going to hit the ground hard, and he knew there was nothing that would prevent it. Danny tried to catch them both, but Steve's weight pulled him down and the unstable boulder did the rest.

Steve tried to overcompensate and not crush Danny. Catherine tried to hang on to him, but she also knew they were going down, regardless of their best efforts.

In the combined drop, Steve landed hard on his left side, opening the wound in his side opening on impact. He lay half on Danny and Catherine, but his left side took the brunt force when they crashed to the ground. All three of them slid a little way down the slope before managing to stop themselves.

"Steve!" Catherine scooted up to his side while Danny slid out from beneath him. They both now had scrape marks of their own to add to Steve's.

"Hey, can you hear me?" she tried again. "Steve, come on."

He was lying on his left side and his eyes were squeezed shut while he tried to get a breath. Pain was everywhere and the dizziness he had locked away earlier in the morning had come back with a vengeance and threatened to take him out with it. He opened his mouth to answer Cath but quickly realized talking wasn't going to happen. He suddenly was wide eyed with panic when bile quickly erupted up his esophagus; a sound somewhere between a gag and a groan came out. He finally threw up the meager contents of his stomach from the day before and then lay there, spent from the effort. In the background he could hear Catherine's soothing voice but the words were disjointed. Suddenly he understood what she was saying when he felt himself being rolled onto his back. The movement also caused his new-found pain begin to drive him insane. His left shoulder and arm were both on fire and he could no longer keep in a cry of pain.

Catherine continued speaking to him but he now picked up panic in her voice. "It's OK, just lie still, Steve." She held his arm close to his side and he heard her talking to Danny, her voice stuttering and quiet. "Get more gauze and just cover it to keep it clean. That chopper's gotta be here soon."

"What-?" Steve tried to ask what was wrong but couldn't get his tongue to work properly to form the words through the haze of pain.

"It's OK, Steve. Just relax. Danny, are you all right?" she asked, watching Danny layer gauze.

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied. "You?"

"Bumps and bruises." She handed the radio to Danny. "Why don't you see if Chin and Kono are here yet. Maybe get the chopper's ETA." They both looked up upon hearing the whap of blades. "Never mind," she whispered. "Thank goodness."

"Chin, what's your location?" Danny asked. "Chopper's here."

"We're here and are in touch with the pilot. Stand by."

Catherine knelt at Steve's head and wiped the sweat from his face, realizing that his temperature was still high. She knew he needed medical attention very quickly. "Steve?"

"Huh?" He opened his eyes and stared blankly at her, confusion written in his features. "Wha' happened?"

"Your collarbone was broken. When we fell, a sliver of it broke through the skin."

Steve blinked sweat from his eyes. "Huh? Not again."

"Again? This has happened before?"

Steve looked at the sky. "Chopper's coming?"

"Yeah, don't worry, they'll get you to the hospital soon."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "My dad's gonna kill me…"

She watched as his eyes rolled back and his head dropped to the side.

**- - - H50 - - -**

_John McGarrett had called dispatch and was told his request would be handled by the Coast Guard who would send a helicopter. Since three twelve-year-olds were missing he was confident that the SAR would already be on the way. The Coast Guard didn't fool around, and for sure not when kids were involved._

_He had just reached the stairs when he heard back from dispatch and was informed that SAR did a sweep but they hadn't seen anything from above. They would be on standby and waiting for the kids to be found. Dispatch had informed the Army Base and they had sent a helo with a group to the top to start the search from that end._

_John looked up the ladder to the stairs and shook his head at what the boys had obviously pulled._

"_John!"_

_McGarrett turned when he heard his friend's voice. "Ben, thanks for coming," he greeted Ben Keoki. "Troy, thank you for helping."_

_Troy Ookala was off duty, but when he had heard John's boy was missing he came to help out._

"_Of course, John. Are you sure that the boys are up there?" Troy asked and pointed up the stairs._

"_Yeah. Duke called and said they have Dorian, the boy who Marty told me about, in custody. He has already confessed to pushing Steve off the stairs, but he swears it was an accident," John explained while he checked his backpack before heading up the stairs._

"_Accident or not, if Steve fell down the mountain we need to find him. He might be seriously injured," Ben added._

"_Yes, you're right. Let's go," John said and motioned for them to follow him._

"_How is Doris taking this?" Ben asked as he climbed after his friend._

"_I haven't told her yet," John called back. He had no idea really what to tell his wife. As long as he didn't have any information he wouldn't tell her. "I'll call her when we know more."_

"_She won't be happy at being kept in the dark."_

"_Yeah, well, she'll just have to deal with it. What am I supposed to tell her?" John asked. "I don't even know if Steve is…"_

"_He will be fine, John." Ben assured his friend._

"_I hope so," John said under his breath._

**- - - H50 - - -**

"_Argh!" Steve couldn't help but cry out when he stumbled and fell down. His ankle had given way and he hadn't been able to stay on his feet. On the way down he knew he would hit the dirt hard with his shoulder, but there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He had to hold on to the rope with his good right hand, so he couldn't even brace himself when he impacted the ground._

_The pain that shot through his shoulder and arm took his breath away. Tears were streaming down his cheeks instantly, and he couldn't keep in the sobs. He had heard a snapping sound when his shoulder hit the ground and he knew from the sharp, incredible pain that if it hadn't been broken before something was definitely fractured now._

_The pain was so bad that he could barely breathe. Steve tried to turn onto his back, off of his injured side, but even the slightest movement was nauseating. His vision tunneled and before he realized it he blacked out._

_When he came to he lay on his back and he could make out his two friends hovering over him. Steve could see that they were in a panic, but he couldn't hear them. What he could hear was the blood rushing in his veins; he could hear his heartbeat that was way too fast; and he could hear his harsh breathing. And he could feel something wet and warm on his chest, and the piecing pain near his shoulder._

_Steve looked wide eyed at his two friends who looked like ghosts. He wondered why they were both white as sheets; and Cale looked like he would pass out any second._

"_Steve?" He suddenly heard Kami's shaky voice._

"_Hmmm."_

"_Steve?"_

"_I wanna go home," Steve whispered and didn't care that he was still crying. His shoulder hurt so badly; he was sure he would go crazy from the pain._

_He felt sick again and knew he had to turn if he threw up. Steve took another look at his friends and could see that they looked really scared. "What?" He finally asked._

_Cale didn't say anything but pointed at his shoulder and Steve finally looked down at the spot that hurt so much. What he saw made him go as white as his friends were. There was a piece of white bone sticking through his torn tee shirt_ _between his shoulder and neck. "Oh," was all he said before he passed out again._

**- - - H50 - - -**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Life's a b/tch at the moment for the both of us. So, if we missed anyone in our replies, we are sorry. Thank you all for your patience and for your support.

We are both taking an Easter-break, so there won't be an update next week. But we are right back on schedule and will keep you posted about any coming stories or chapters on our profile page. Every Monday we will give a sit-rep, so to speak. ;-)

Now, enough talking, we hope you will enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Stairway to Heaven - Chapter 6**

_**Tripler Army Medical Center, present day**_

Catherine sat in the dimly-lit hospital room watching Steve sleep. She was exhausted after yesterday's frantic hike up the Haiku Stairs, the near-sleepless night in a sleeping bag, and finally this morning's ill-fated hike and chopper rescue. She was much calmer now that she was finally in the same room with Steve, but the morning had been a hectic one. Hospitals were notorious for taking their time in letting family members know what was going on, but she thought Tripler was the absolute worst in that aspect. It had seemed hours before a doctor had finally come to report that Steve was stable and in relatively good condition after his fall down the mountain.

Although after finally getting a good look at him, she felt the words "relatively good" were misleading!

Steve appeared to be sleeping peacefully after his ordeal although his sleep was drug induced from anesthesia. In addition, he was suffering from a concussion which altered his consciousness. Cath was concerned that he wasn't awake but the doctor assured her that Steve had woken in the ER and had been alert and able to answer a couple of easy questions.

She was glad to hear that he had been awake because during the chopper transport he really had her scared. The two medics on board had treated him for shock while checking for injuries. They tried to rouse Steve but had gotten no response from their patient. Catherine could see their concern in the furtive glances they gave each other and when one asked the ETA of the chopper, she began to fear that things were worse than she thought.

Now she was thankful to finally be allowed in the same room with him and wanted to check every bandage. There was a spectacular bruise on his forehead and around his eye with a cut near his eyebrow that was held together with several small steri-strips. His cheek was scraped raw and another steri-strip adorned the cleft of his chin. Through the thin gown Steve was wearing, she could see the larger white bandage running from his left shoulder to his neck covering the incision that closed the broken collarbone. Another swath of gauze on his side hid fourteen stitches. The wounds had been debrided of rock and dirt before being closed and Steve was on a cocktail of antibiotics to counter the infection that had set in. He was still running a fever, but at the moment the doctor wasn't overly concerned, feeling they had taken care of the problem in its early stages.

His right foot was a mess of bruises. It was wrapped in a cold pack and resting on a pillow. The ligaments across the top of his foot had been torn when they were jerked by the rope, but the orthopedic had assured her that with a splint and rest, it would heal without problem. In addition to the major injuries he was also covered from head to toe by scratches and bruises and she knew there were a few more minor cuts that had been sutured as well.

The day was catching up with Catherine and she had just dropped off to sleep when her phone dinged. She jerked upright and stretched, knowing she would have a crick in her neck if she fell asleep in that position. The call was from Danny and she got up and moved closer to the door to talk, not wanting to disturb her sleeping friend.

"_Hey, we're back," _Danny said._ "How're things there?" _

"We're OK, I guess. Steve's finally in a room after having surgery to set his shoulder. The doctor said it should heal without a problem. Once he wakes up and they assess him, if he is still stable and his fever hasn't risen, the doc said he might go home tomorrow. He just needs complete rest but Dr. Raegan said he could do that at home."

"_Yes, but will he?" _Danny asked.

"Oh, trust me… I'm gonna make sure he rests," she replied. "Besides, he'll need crutches to walk and can't use them because of his shoulder. He has no choice but to stay where I put him."

Danny chuckled._ "Can I watch?"_

"You know, contrary to popular belief, Steve does know when to stand down."

"_I know he does. But that doesn't mean he'll like it and that's the battle I want to see_." She could hear Danny's laughter in the phone before he added_, "Hey, I'm gonna go pay Raymond a little visit, but I'll be by later."_

"OK, see you soon. Hopefully Steve will be awake by the time you get here." She hung up the phone and turned back toward the bed.

"Hey," a gravelly voice said from across the room.

Catherine looked up and smiled. "Hey, yourself." She leaned over the bed and gently kissed the top of his head. "How do you feel?"

Steve scrunched up his face, then grimaced at the pain that action caused. "Fuzzy. But I'm going home tomorrow? I heard you say so."

She stood and smiled. "Of course that is the one thing you heard. The doctor said _**if**_ everything looks good, he might let you go. Now tell me how you really feel."

Steve thought for a moment, and then replied, "Head hurts. A lot. Shoulder is aching but nothing else hurts. Jus' tired."

"Commander, next time you decide to take a hike off the trail, would you mind letting us know first? You had me scared."

"Sorry. Wasn't expecting anyone else to be there." Steve tried to yawn, but stopped mid-way through. "Ow, now my face hurts."

"Trust me, everything's going to begin to hurt soon enough," she warned him. "Most of your body is black and blue. They repaired the break in your shoulder and you've got stitches in your side. Plus assorted other places."

"Anything else I should know about?" he asked, opening his eyes and carefully raising his head off the bed. That wasn't the best move and he landed back on the pillow with a groan.

"Be still!" Cath warned. "There are some torn ligaments in your foot, nothing you have to see right now. The doctor said it will need a splint for a couple of weeks to keep it stable."

" 'K," Steve mumbled, the conversation clearly tiring him. His eyes closed against his will but he continued, "Wha'happened to your face?"

She reached up and touched her scraped cheek. "You, Danny and I took a tumble this morning. Do you remember that?" His eyes remained closed, but she could tell he was trying to recall the morning.

"Not really. Think I remember hearing a chopper."

"Well, by that time you were pretty much out of it. Now… why don't you try to get some more rest?"

"Yeah… so you have a plan for making sure I stay… and I quote… where you put me?"

"Ah, you heard that?"

"Uh huh." He grinned and opened his eyes. "Care to explain?"

Catherine gave him a wicked grin and gently kissed his forehead. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see, Commander!"

Steve tried to stay awake to chat a little more with Cath, to learn more about what has happened, but the drugs running through his system and the toll the injuries took on him finally won out. He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of overhearing another conversation many years ago invading his mind.

**- - - H50 - - -**

_**Kapi' Olani**__** Children's Hospital - 1989 **_

_Steve could hear low voices… arguing. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but there was no doubt that his mom was royally miffed. Steve was sure her anger was directed at him. And he could understand that, had even expected it. He had lied to his parents, just like his friends had done. And lying like that was something he had never done before. _

_It had been kind of exciting to come up with the cover story they all had told their parents. But now he regretted it. He didn't even have a good excuse, or any excuse for what he did. He simply wanted to hike up the Haiku stairs, and to reach that goal they came to the conclusion they had to lie to their parents and come up with a cover story._

_They knew the risks; what would happen when their parents figured out what their kids had done. They had thought their plan was bulletproof; none of them thought anything could go wrong. But wrong it went. So totally wrong that it could be called a total screw up._

_Steve had yet to open his eyes, or show any sign that he was awake, but that would require __for__ him to move. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to do that. The last thing he could clearly remember was an incredible pain in his shoulder and some white bloody bone sticking out of his body. And embarrassing himself for crying like a little kid. And he vaguely remembered being held by his dad, but had no idea when that had been._

_He had no desire to wake the pain that he was sure was just waiting to come out again. Besides he was really sleepy. Steve kept listening to the angry voices and let it lull him back to sleep. _

_**- - - H50 - - -**_

"_You should have called me, John."_

"_Doris, I called you as soon as I knew where Steve was," John McGarrett told her again. "There was nothing you could have done anyway."_

_That had obviously been the wrong thing to say. "My son almost died today, and you didn't even call me," Doris answered in a deadly quiet voice._

"_I'm sorry, okay? I just thought I'd call when I had more information. Doris, please, let's not argue about it anymore," John pleaded with his wife. "Maybe I should have called you sooner, but I thought…"_

"_I know. I'm sorry I snapped like that. I know you did what you thought best," Doris interrupted and took her husband's hand, drawing him closer. "Please tell me how you found Steve."_

**- - - H50 - - -**

_**Tripler Army Medical Center, present day**_

Dr. Raegan was hesitant in signing Steve's release papers because Steve was having bouts of dizziness and a continual headache. Steve's temp, while not rising, had remained constant throughout the night and the doctor felt IV antibiotics were still warranted.

But Steve was as strong-willed as Raegan and finally persuaded him to sign the papers after lunch. He had set out to prove that even with a headache he was capable of recuperating at home.

His left arm was strapped across his chest, but Steve managed to walk across the room utilizing one crutch, proving he could manage on his own. Dr. Raegan was skeptical, but released him on strict house arrest… and into Catherine's care, which irked Steve a little but he was willing to concede defeat in that matter. As long as he got home he was sure he would come to an understanding with Catherine.

After talking with Danny and Chin, they had decided that Chin's vehicle would be best suited for Steve to ride in since Cath's and Danny's cars were too low and the truck was too high for him to climb into. The moment Steve got into the car he began to pester Chin about every aspect of the case, wanting to know details. Chin hedged, saying it was a long story just as Catherine's phone rang.

"Hey, Danny."

"_So, did they spring him?"_

"Yeah, we're on our way home now. Hey, are you free to come over tonight? Steve wants all the details on the case and I thought we could order pizza and everyone can fill in the details."

"_Sure, I'll tell Kono. Let me know if he gets too rowdy for you."_

"I will. Don't worry, we'll be fine. See you later." She ended the call and leaned forward in the seat. "How about we both rest this afternoon and everyone can come over later to discuss the case. You just have to promise me you'll be a model patient today. Deal?"

"A model patient? Should I remind you who you're talking to?"

"I know exactly who I'm talking to," she grinned, eliciting a smile from him.

Steve scoffed. He was always a model patient. Just ask him.

But in this case it happened to be true. After managing the slow, shuffling walk from the car to the house, Steve barely made it to the recliner before he leaned back and promptly fell asleep with a sigh of relief. Cath added a pillow beneath his injured foot and covered him with an afghan before thanking Chin again for the ride home.

"I'll call for pizza later on, so you guys come on over. Once he wakes up, I'm sure the case will be all that's on his mind. As you heard in the car, he wants answers."

"That he does. We'll be by later. Just call if you need anything before then."

She nodded. "We're good; I'm going to try and catch a nap, too."

"Not a bad idea," Chin said with a grin. "See you later."

**- - - H50 - - -**

Steve woke sometime later, blinking in the darkening room and soon realized daylight had all but disappeared. He raised his head off the chair and felt a rush of dizziness accompanied by the flush of heat traveling from his neck into his head.

He quickly laid his head back down and let out a breath of frustration.

"Hey!" Catherine's voice came from around the corner. "I was getting worried."

"Unh," Steve mumbled, trying to raise the chair so that he could sit up. "What'times' people comin?"

"Well, they're not coming today," Catherine told him and held up her hand against the verbal assault she knew was coming.

Steve attempted a glare which didn't phase her one bit.

"Before you start," she began, "it's late. You have been sleeping since 1430, and when I say 'asleep', I mean pretty much dead to the world. I tried to wake you three times and I took your temperature twice. Not only did you not move, I actually checked to see if you were breathing! Danny, Chin and I decided you weren't in any condition for company."

"Cath," the whine began.

"Don't Cath me, Steve. You're running a temp of 101 and after being asleep since forever and not drinking anything, I'm sure you're dehydrated in addition to concussed, infected and lame."

"Am not." He attempted to scoot out of the chair with one usable arm and one strong leg. He didn't get far.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm getting my six outta this chair. If you must know, nature's calling."

"Then here's your crutch. I'll help you up," she sweetly told him and held on to the back of his shirt until he was upright. "Do you need any help?"

He turned around to stare once again. Catherine grinned. "That is your 'bite me' face and so help me, if you say those words, I will do it. Now, you got this? If so, I'll warm up some soup because you need to get something in your stomach so you can take your meds."

Steve began walking toward the bathroom with Cath following behind. "Not really hungry. It wouldn't stay down anyway," Steve grumbled, frustrated about his current condition.

She placed her hand on his back. "OK, come on into the kitchen when you're finished and maybe you can try a shake or something. The doctor said we need to get your temperature down. Maybe the cold drink will help."

"When did he say that?" he asked while closing the bathroom door.

"When I called him about an hour ago," she admitted.

"Geez…, gimme a break," was heard from behind the door.

**- - - H50 - - -**

"I feel like a grandpa going to bed this early," Steve grumbled once he was in bed.

"Oh, yeah?" Cath said, grinning at him. "Well, you're the cutest grandpa I've ever seen. We've got pain pills, water, a pillow for your foot… anything else we need?"

"Yeah," Steve said, patting the space next to him. "You… right here. And I'll have you know that I'll be a rockin' grandpa."

"Is that so?" Catherine turned out the light and carefully got into bed, snuggling as closely as she could. "I hope I'm around to see that," she told him.

"Plan on it," he told her with a smile. "And come here, you're not gonna hurt anything." He held out his arm and waited until she placed her head on his shoulder. "There, that's better."

"Mmm, yes it is," she agreed. "I just don't want to kick your foot."

"It's all good." They were silent for a couple of minutes before he said, "Thank you."

Cath raised up her head. "What for?

"Just stuff," he admitted. "But I guess for not having people here tonight. I'm still kinda tired."

She smiled. "So… you're saying that I was right and you were wrong? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Well, no, I'm just—"

"Stubborn? Pig-headed? Obstinate?" she interrupted with a grin.

"OK, let's just drop it. You were right," Steve conceded with a smile, which she could rather feel than see in the dark of their bedroom.

"Of course I was," she admitted, kissing his shoulder. "Do you think you can sleep? Does your head still hurt?"

"Um hmm… it's not bad as long as I'm still." He had to stop speaking when a yawn erupted. "Guess I'm sleepy. But, I swear tomorrow I'm going to find out about this crazy case, got it? I want everyone here."

She leaned in to give him another kiss. "Aye, aye, Commander."

"Don't be a smart ass, Lieutenant."

**- - - H50 - - -**

"OK, Chin, I let you finish a piece of pizza," Steve said with a grin. "And I've been patient long enough. It's time to tell me what this insane case was all about."

They were sitting on the lanai and everyone but Steve was enjoying the pizza Catherine had ordered. Steve had wisely declined a piece after realizing his stomach wouldn't appreciate the food. Even after a good night's sleep, he was still battling a headache and occasional dizziness.

He had managed to keep a banana-milk-shake down, but he didn't want to tempt his luck.

Chin took a drink of his beer which Steve longingly looked at. He had reached for one of the long neck bottles earlier but Catherine had snared it from his fingers while he heard Danny 'tsk tsk' at his attempt. In its place, Catherine had handed him a bottle of water.

He got the message quickly that there would be no alcohol for him that day.

Chin turned his seat around to face Steve. "How long do you have?" he asked. "This could make a TV mini-series."

"Although a bad one," Kono said, tossing her plate into the trash. "These guys were lolo."

Catherine leaned down close to Steve and whispered, "Do you need anything before they begin? More water? Anything to eat? Pain pill?"

Steve gave a minute shake of his head and glanced at her. "Not now… I'm good."

The look on Catherine's face showed her disbelief but she settled in the chair next to him, crossing one foot beneath her and reaching out to lay her hand on his leg.

"OK, they were crazy," Steve replied to Kono while lacing his fingers with Cath's. "I could have told you that much. What I want to know is who did what… and why?"

Chin began the tale. "First off, Raymond was quite willing to talk, trying to make amends when he learned who you were. Apparently killing two friends is OK, but when you mess with law enforcement, it's a serious matter. He said, 'But I didn't know who that dude was… I thought he was gonna steal my stuff.'"

"Yeah, Brah," Kono added, "I think he thought he could just take it all back if he confessed to what he had done. It's like he forgot the two bodies he left up on the stairs."

"Well, according to Raymond," Chin continued. "All this was their fault. He shouldn't be held responsible for their stupidity."

"That sounds like most criminals I've talked to," Danny said with a grin.

"Before we get to this story, I need to fill you in on the background." Chin took another swallow of his beer and continued. "When Raymond was 19 he graduated from high school."

"Wow… that was um… a little slow, wasn't it?" Cath asked. "Any reason for it other than not being the brightest?"

"Well... just wait and you'll see just how bright he is. His friends Ricky and Dennis were 18 so they might have been a tad bit smarter. Raymond's uncle, Mr. Makai had promised to buy him a car when he graduated, so at the age of 19, Raymond was the proud owner of a brand new 2009 Mustang. His uncle also gave him a thousand dollars for insurance for the first six months."

"Nice uncle," Steve muttered.

"Yeah, and only forty-eight hours later, the car was in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the Pali. The kids were all OK, but the car was toast. And… to show you how bright Raymond was, he had used the insurance money for a huge beach party. So, now, what do you think he did?"

"Go crawling back to Uncle?" Steve deduced.

"Exactly. Raymond went to his uncle and actually asked for another new car. Uncle apparently told him to grow up and put him out of the house. Raymond was mad and managed to swipe the statue that night when he took his mother back with him to plead his case. When that didn't work, he decided he'd take something for his trouble. He took the statue because it was something he knew his uncle valued. Raymond had no clue of its true worth."

"But even before he could get to a pawn shop with the statue, the theft was all over the news," Kono said. "So he knew he had no way of getting money for it."

"Raymond said that hiding it under the stairs was Dennis' idea, so they hiked up early one morning and found the space beneath the stairway. And over the last six years, the statue has remained and the three of them pretty much lost contact with each another."

"Dennis heard that Uncle died a couple weeks ago and he came to Raymond, asking about the long-forgotten statue. Dennis was a little cash-poor and wanted his share of the profits," Kono said.

"And _that's_ why all this was Dennis' fault!" Chin told them. "Raymond said he wanted no part of it."

"Then why is Raymond the only one left alive?" Steve asked.

"A very good question. Raymond went to Ricky's and they all decided to go up the stairs. Ricky was more interested in actually walking the stairs than in the statue… at least according to Raymond."

"And yet Ricky is dead and Raymond isn't," Danny pointed out.

"It gets better," Chin promised. They met and began their hike and Ricky did want to climb the stairs. He left the other two at the bridge section. And this is where it gets good, Steve. You should probably receive a commendation from the governor!"

"Huh?" Steve asked, wiggling a bit in his seat to get more comfortable. He stopped fidgeting when he saw Catherine watching him more closely.

"The guys went under the bridge and not only did Dennis find the statue, he found countless other items hidden there. It seems that even though Raymond was into car repair during the day, he had a more lucrative job at night." Chin leaned forward in his seat. "Get this… there were stolen items from no less than six unsolved robberies hidden up there… all of which occurred in the last five years." He shook his head and grinned. "And HPD isn't finished cataloguing everything… there may be more."

Steve had a look of disbelief. "Guess Raymond _was _good at something, huh?"

"Yeah, but when Dennis found this out, Raymond said he was really pissed. Imagine that!" Kono added. "So, Raymond said to keep his little secret, he had to kill Dennis. He surprised him with the knife and stabbed him, then pushed him over the side. The plan was to tell Ricky that Dennis had fallen."

"Only Raymond didn't know that Ricky was on his way back down the stairs and he saw the whole thing. Ricky ran the rest of the way down and confronted Raymond. They fought over the knife and somehow Ricky got it from Raymond, but then began running back up the mountain…"

"Sounds like he wasn't so bright either," Danny said. "Nothing on top could save him. Why didn't he run down?"

"Who knows?" Chin replied. "Raymond chased him and clubbed him with the statue. Then he came back down to make sure all the rest of his treasure was well hidden. He was under the bridge when he heard the chopper and saw people zipping down. Then he heard you talking on your phone on your way up and knew he had to wait until you left the scene before he could come out of hiding."

"Yeah, Boss and it was _your_ fault you got hit with the statue. If you had minded your own business, you would have made it to the bottom and so would he… those were Raymond's exact words."

"I look forward to having a little chat with Raymond," Steve replied with a grin.

"When you're ready to go to the office," Cath reminded him.

Steve rolled his eyes at her then had to blink to refocus when the action made him dizzy. He laid his head back against the chair and closed his eyes for a few seconds, knowing Catherine and probably Danny were watching him again. He grinned. "Yes, I'm fine and no, I don't need anything," he said, opening his eyes to stare at her.

"I wasn't going to ask…" she said and turned away from him.

"I got a question," Danny asked, staring at Steve.

_Here it comes._ "What, Danny?"

"Why did you lie when you said you hadn't been on the mountain? Because I'm pretty sure you've been there."

Steve paused a moment to arrange his thoughts. "You asked if I had ever been 'on top' of the stairs. And I hadn't, so I didn't lie to you."

They heard a voice from the beach and everyone turned that direction.

"Mind if I join you?" a man wearing a flight uniform asked. He came closer and Steve got a good look at him, then smiled in recognition.

"Skip! I haven't seen you for years. Guys, this is Skip Cromer; and he grew up a couple houses down. His parents still live down there." He held out his hand to shake the newcomer's hand. "Skip joined the Coast Guard and I really had a bad case of hero worship."

"Sorry to barge in like this, but I wanted to check on you," he said. "Wanted to see if you were trying to earn frequent flyer miles?"

Steve shook his head, not understanding Skip's question. "Huh?"

"I was the pilot of the chopper yesterday," Skip explained. "Didn't know it was you until we had landed and I signed off on the report. But, as I recall, that was the second time we met on that mountain."

"Oh, the plot thickens," Danny said in delight. "We were just beginning to discuss the fact that this wasn't Steve's first visit to the stairway."

"From the looks of you, the trip ended about the same," Skip said.

"OK, you don't have to rub it in," Steve complained.

"So, tell us," Danny continued. "What kind of trouble did you get him out of the first time?"

**- - - H50 - - -**


End file.
